


Blind Faith

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Gen, Humanstuck, Kidnapping, Mind Control, Mpreg, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Naga, Polyamory, Rape/Non-con Elements, Soulmates, Suicide, Vampire Sex, Warlocks, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 13:55:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 72,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5166323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*DISCONTINUED*</p><p>Darian Ampora is a vampire trying to find his next meal that finds himself inexplicably drawn to a singer in a cafe. However, he's in for quite the surprise when he tries to feed.</p><p>Kayden Vantas never believed in the world of the supernatural, but that's all about to change as he gets dragged into it. After all, he could be the turning point in an impending war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Darian Ampora walked along the streets. His eyes flitted every which way, looking for some sort of snack. The vampire had been feeding on criminals and the like, however their blood simply wasn't pure; it wasn't good. He didn't know what had brought him to the small town known as Franklin, but he was there, and it was time to eat.  
  
The streets were deserted for the most part, save for a few people going to their cars after getting out of work later than usual. It was obvious and made for the perfect opportunity to strike, however Darian just didn't see the appeal in any of them. Instead he kept walking, a soft sigh drifting past his lips as he raised a hand and made sure his hair was still gelled back nicely. He was definitely a man that cared about his appearance. It was obvious just by looking at him: a nice tailored suit, slicked back hair, clear face with trimmed facial hair, piercing grey eyes, and a slim but rather fit body. He wore the most expensive colognes he could find, most of them ranging in the $100 to $200 range. The vampire couldn’t deny that he enjoyed smelling good. Most found his charming looks intimidating, though he just couldn't understand why.  
  
Being 400 years old, it was hard to keep up with changing times. Most of the new trends confused him, but he tried to go along with it. Not to mention people's attitudes had changed quite a bit as well. Humans had gone from being rather courteous and always smiling to being withdrawn and cruel. Then again, there was always a certain cruelty in people and this was something that many didn't understand.  
  
As Darian walked among the blackened shops, he came across one that was brightly lit. It looked to be a cafe of some sort called Moore's. The Ampora shrugged his shoulders deciding a drink would be in order, though he didn't actually need it. There were times that it was nice to delve into human traditions such as consuming food and drink. While he didn’t enjoy it the majority of the time, it was nice to treat himself and play human every once in awhile.  
  
As the man stepped in, it dawned on him that he wasn’t going to regret his decision. Automatically, his eyes fell on one man in particular. He stood on the stage, looking back at something or someone, a small smile pulling up his lips. The man was chubby with messy black hair and piercing jade green eyes. He had never seen eyes like that in his lifetime, save for one woman, but- no, it couldn’t be. Darian shook his head, instead choosing to walk up to the counter, ordering a drink and walking to a table rather close to the stage. If the man on stage proved to be good enough, the Ampora knew he’d make a rather lovely meal. Dining on the criminals that he normally did grew to be quite boring, and he was in a small enough town that he could get away with taking an innocent’s life.  
  
Darian sipped at his coffee as he waited for the obvious open mic night to start, though he was only planning on staying for the first performer. He noted how the man on stage moved; he was sure of himself and comfortable. Darian admired that quite a lot.  
  
The man walked up to the mic, grabbing it and smiling, “Hey everyone! My name’s Kayden Vantas, and I’m the first one up tonight. We have a lot of great people so be sure to check everyone out and let us know what you think.” He stood back from the mic, clearing his throat before the guitar player sitting behind him began strumming. The guitar player looked quite different. He had dark skin, dark brown eyes, and black hair with the tips dyed red. He definitely didn’t look like he belonged next to Kayden.  
  
The man - Kayden - closed his eyes, quickly beginning to lose himself in the music. He opened his mouth, and the most beautiful sound Darian had ever heard escaped. Kayden’s voice sounded like smooth honey with what seemed like a slight accent to it that the vampire simply couldn’t place. It was then that Darian made up his mind: he would feast on Kayden.  
  
When the human was finished performing, the patrons of the building began cheering, hoots and hollers that could probably be heard from miles away. Kayden smiled, his face going red. He exited the stage just as Darian stood up. He had to play his cards right as something told him the man wasn’t going to be easily swayed, however what was the harm in playing with your food?  
  
Kayden froze slightly as Darian approached him, obviously having never seen him before. Or perhaps it was the fact that the vampire did look the part of someone quite important what with his tailored suit and trimmed facial hair.  
  
“Hello, um, I do apologize for approaching you like this, but I just had to compliment you and your absolutely lovely voice. You have amazing talent, Mr.- Vantas, was it?” Darian said, a small, shy smile playing on his lips.  
  
“Yeah, it’s Vantas, and thank you.” Kayden paused, giving the vampire in front of him a once-over, “You’re new here, aren’t you?”  
  
The vampire chuckled softly, “Why yes, I am. It’s pretty obvious, I’m assuming.”  
  
“Kind of, I work at the church too, but I’ve never seen you around. Everyone in this town goes to church,” Kayden responded, taking a few steps forward and walking around Darian, “Do you want to sit?”  
  
Darian simply nodded before chuckling once again, “Well, not I. I’m not what one would call ‘A Man of Faith’.”  
  
“Suit yourself.” Kayden said, sitting at the table and looking away. He was growing rather awkward, which made Darian wonder if he had done something wrong. The blackette wasn’t used to many people admitting they were Atheist to him.  
  
“I apologize if I offended you with that statement. That was not my intention.” Darian said quickly, trying to fix the situation and make Kayden more comfortable with him.  
  
“No, no, it’s okay. I shouldn’t have just assumed. I’m sorry.” The other responded, offering a small smile, “I’ll be right back. Would you like a drink?”  
  
“Ah, allow me!” Darian said quickly, holding out a hand toward the other that was moving to get up from his seat. “Trust me, it would be a pleasure to buy you a drink.” The vampire said with a wink before standing and moving over to the barista.  
  
Kayden was completely taken aback. Who on earth was this man? Surely he wasn’t that talented to have one come up to him and say something. He had never been in this position before and it made him nervous. Though it was nice to have someone take an interest in him as it had been far too long since he’d had someone new to talk to.  
  
After around five minutes, Darian walked back with two drinks in hand. As he sat down and set one of the cups in front of Kayden, he smiled sheepishly, “Forgive me, I forgot to ask what you wanted. I do hope you don’t mind a caramel frappe.”  
  
“No, it’s fine. I actually enjoy them, so thank you.” He smiled, lifting the cup to his lips and blowing softly before taking a few sips. “So where did you come from? I know you have an accent, but I can’t quite place it.”  
  
“I came from Scotland, actually. The states are new, but I quite enjoy it here.” The vampire responded, having answered this question many times, however he always gave the same answer. In reality, he’d lived in the states for many, many years but always went back to Scotland for that many more. Scotland was his home, and it’d always have a place in his heart- no matter how dead it was.  
  
Kayden’s eyes widened with surprise, and he nodded. He’d always wanted to visit Scotland. In fact, the man always wanted to travel but never got the chance. He was glued to a life in Franklin. The only upside to him staying was his adoptive family and his best friend. Kayden knew he wouldn’t be able to survive without them.  
  
“But enough questions about myself; I want to know more about you. What are some things you like to do?” Darian asked, leaning forward slightly as he took a long sip out of his cup. He absolutely loathed talking about himself.  
  
The other definitely had to think about that. What did he like to do? Obviously sing but was there anything else?  
  
“Well I sing and write music. Those are really the only two things there are other than hanging out with my brothers or a friend of mine.” Kayden shrugged, realizing with a sickening feeling that there really wasn’t much to him. In fact, he lived a very sad and uneventful life.  
  
“I really did mean what I said, you have quite a lovely voice. I didn’t realize you wrote your own music as well. Very few artists I’ve met write their own music.” Darian stated, pleasantly surprised, but admiring the other even more.  
  
“I guess I just have a lot to say, plus singing someone else’s songs just doesn’t feel right. I wouldn’t be able to do it.” Kayden responded, shrugging and taking another sip of his drink.  
  
“Well, I do understand that. I myself am a musician. Granted, I don’t sing very well, but I am quite skilled with piano.” He said, smiling fondly at the simple thought of playing again. Playing piano had always been a very strong talent of his, even before he was turned, he took great pride in playing.  
  
“Piano, huh?” Kayden asked, a smile playing at his lips. He’d tried playing years ago but couldn’t seem to keep up with it. So he quit and turned to singing, which turned out to be a very good thing. “How long have you played?”  
  
“Ever since I remember; since I was a young boy at least. Though, it did take me a few years to actually learn. I was a very stubborn child. Whatever my mother told me to do, I usually did the opposite,” Darian mused, chuckling. “Anyhow, back to you. Have you ever thought about doing something with that lovely voice of yours? I’m sure it could take you places.”  
  
Kayden shrugged, having never thought about doing more with his voice. Sure he sang at the church every morning and afternoon, plus a few nights a week at the cafe, but other than that, he hadn’t had a wonderful opportunity to get out of the town plus no one would come with him, which that in itself made him entirely too nervous. “No I mean yes, I’ve thought about it but no I won’t do anything. I guess there’s just a part of me that doesn’t want to go places. I’m- comfortable here.” That was most definitely a lie, but the other didn’t have to know that.  
  
Darian nodded and sat quietly, thinking about what Kayden had said. He couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to stay cooped up in such a small town. Though part of him understood, as when he had been human he planned on staying in Scotland all his life; though, it was scenic and beautiful, unlike the small town he was in now. The vampire figured there was more to what Kayden was letting on, and it made him even more curious to know everything about him.  
  
“Okay, let us go back to something easy then. What’s your favorite color?” Darian asked, excited to hear the answer.  
  
Kayden laughed, a very melodic sound, and answered, “Probably red. Any type of red, I like it.”  
  
“Why?” Darian asked, taking a sip of his drink.  
  
The human shrugged, looking down for a moment and processing. No one had ever asked him why red was his favorite color. “I suppose it’s because it’s such an important color. You see it everywhere, but very few people actually say it’s their favorite. You mostly hear blue or green, but it’s not always red.”  
  
The vampire pondered that for a moment, deciding Kayden was correct though that wasn’t the answer he was expecting. Personally, his favorite colors were more of the royal variety, but he could also appreciate red simply because it was the color of blood, and oh how he yearned for blood- especially Kayden’s. Darian decided he couldn’t wait any longer, he needed the human’s blood.  
  
“So, I do greatly apologize if this is rather straightforward, but would you like to come home with me? I can make a lovely dinner, and we can laze around the house, unless you’d like to show me around town.” Darian spoke, choosing his words carefully. Kayden seemed like the type to shy away at advances.  
  
“Oh, um, I mean, I suppose I could go.” Kayden responded, sounding unsure of himself. Of course, why wouldn’t he be? A man he’d just met was asking him to go home with him; that would cause some concern. Still, it had been awhile since he’d hung out with anyone other than his friend or brothers, so he quickly decided then and there that he would. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll go. Though I need to be back at around 7:30 just because of church. I mean, not that I’d stay overnight or anything, unless you wanted me to, I just wanted to…“ Kayden trailed off, realizing he was blabbering, which was never attractive especially to people like Darian- or so he thought.  
  
However, Darian thought it was quite -adorable- the way the human spilled over his words whilst not knowing what was going to happen to him later on. Though he was thrilled the other had actually agreed, he would’ve absolutely hated having to ambush the man later on.  
  
“Wonderful! By the way, my name is Darian Ampora. I apologize for not introducing myself sooner, I’m usually not like that.” The vampire said, holding out a hand for the other to shake.  
  
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ampora-“  
  
“Please, call me Darian.”  
  
“Okay, well, it’s nice to meet you, Darian. I need to grab my things, and then I’ll be ready to go if that’s okay with you.” Kayden responded, shaking the other’s hand, knowing Darian already knew his name and not seeing the point in introducing himself for a second time.  
  
“That’s perfectly fine. I will be waiting in the car; it’s a deep purple Mercedes.” He replied, offering up a smile before throwing his empty coffee cup away and walking out the door, leaving Kayden flabbergasted.  
  
Darian Ampora owned a Mercedes, and he was taking an interest in Kayden Vantas, who was struggling to even keep his apartment? Every part of Kayden was screaming for him to not go, to just go home and forget the man ever even existed. But of course, Kayden didn’t listen. Instead, he quickly went to the back, grabbing his backpack and wallet before heading outside and searching for Darian’s car. He sent a quick thank you prayer to God that his brother had already left. He would’ve had a field day if he saw Kayden leaving with someone.  
  
The Mercedes was quite easy to find as it stuck out like a sore thumb among the soccer mom vans and worn down cars passed down through the years. No one in Franklin had anything nice. It was a quaint little town that didn’t have much to offer, save for very talented people that would never be discovered. It was a sad fact, but, unfortunately, everyone born in Franklin never really got out. If they did, they ended up coming back. That’s just how many small towns work; they were addicting. Nobody liked them, but they couldn’t stay away.  
  
Kayden stepped up to the car, opening the door and carefully seating himself. The last thing he wanted to do was put a dent or scratch on the nice interior or exterior of Darian’s car. He couldn’t even imagine how much the vehicle must’ve been.  
  
“Hello, Kayden. I see you have everything; do we need to stop anywhere before I take you to my place?” Darian asked, starting up the car as he spoke.  
  
Kayden shook his head, knowing everything else he needed was at his place which he didn’t want to show the other just yet. Needless to say, he was suddenly embarrassed by his looks and what little money he had. The man simply felt like he wasn’t dressed up enough as he was dressed simply in a blue and green flannel and ripped blue jeans. Did he smell? Why couldn’t he remember if he put deodorant on?  
  
“Okay then let’s go.” The vampire smiled, putting the car into drive and zooming out of the parking space and into the night.  
  
The car smelled new, but also had the same scent Darian did- expensive. While Kayden definitely didn’t trust the situation, he couldn’t bring himself to tell Darian to just drop him off and leave him.  
  
Kayden watched the darkness roll by quickly, focusing on the sky. He pointed out different constellations in his mind as he’d always had a love for the universe and stars in general. The man was so caught up in star-gazing he didn’t even notice Darian had begun talking to him.  
  
“...I do apologize dearly for this, but you see I’m quite hungry, and you just look absolutely delectable, I can’t imagine how delicious your blood will taste.”  
  
Kayden’s eyebrows furrowed as he turned to the other, however just as he opened his mouth to speak Darian grabbed his head and slammed it into the window, causing the human’s world to go black.


	2. Chapter Two

He had fucked up. Darian Ampora had completely and utterly fucked up. How on Earth was he supposed to know Kayden Vantas had vampire blood running through his system? He had never before met a half-vampire in his life, which must have explained why his blood smelled delectable but also quite- off. Darian wasn’t sure what to do. Was he to just let him go and live life normally? Or would he need to dispose of him?  
  
The vampire growled softly and pressed his head against the steering wheel in front of him. He had since stopped the car and investigated Kayden thoroughly, making absolutely sure it was in fact vampire blood moving through his system. What was he to do? Darian had never heard of half-lings existing. How was he created? The vampire decided it was best not to dwell on it. He had to act now before Kayden woke up.  
  
As gently as he possibly could, Darian lifted Kayden’s head, bringing him forward and taking a deep breath. He knew with the mix of vampire blood he could get very ill, but there was something telling him it’d all be worth it in the end.  
  
Darian found the perfect spot of soft flesh on Kayden’s neck and took one more deep breath before his fangs protruded and he bit down, piercing the flesh as his venom began pumping into the half-lings body. The vampire stayed in the same position for a few minutes before pulling away, coughing and hacking whilst spitting out the blood that had managed to find its way into his mouth. The half-ling still remained limp, though his breaths could still be heard, inhaling and exhaling softly.  
  
The vampire wiped his mouth before sitting back and waiting for the other to wake back up. Luckily, it only took about five minutes for him to do so, though when he did, Darian wished he would pass right back out. Needless to say, Kayden was freaking out, automatically jumping and backing away with his back pressed against the door, jade eyes wide as his chest began heaving.  
  
“Wh-what did you do to me? You were talking about drinking from me or something, and then you knocked me out, I think. What did you do?” He asked, hysterical. What kind of man had he met? Why would he agree to go home with him? What was he thinking?  
  
“Kayden, calm down, please. Let me explain what’s going on.” Darian said calmly, not even trying to get close to the other. He held his hands up to show that he wasn’t about to try anything. All he wanted to do was explain the situation. After all, Kayden deserved at least that much.  
  
“No, you’re a freak. You said you were going to _drink_ from me. Look, I’m out of here.” Kayden growled weakly, opening the door and practically falling out, though he didn’t waste a minute getting back up and slamming the door shut, quickly beginning to walk away though his legs were shaky and his head hurt quite a bit.  
  
Darian decided to let Kayden go, knowing there was no way he’d be able to convince him. Instead he focused on the fact that the half-ling would be able to find solace; that is, at least until he died. The process would take three days. First, Kayden would begin to gain flu like symptoms, next he’d begin coughing up blood, and finally, he’d die. His body would stop functioning completely before he would awaken as a vampire six hours later. The vampire only hoped there would be others around him that actually knew about the supernatural, otherwise Kayden would find himself completely and utterly alone.  
  
Kayden walked quickly, pulling out his phone and calling the one person he knew could make him feel better about the entire situation and could potentially get Darian Ampora locked up- if that was his real name that is. He dialed the number with shaky hands and put the phone up to his ear, checking behind him every couple seconds to ensure Darian wasn’t following him.  
  
“Hello, Regina Pyrope speaking.” A gravelly voice rang out.  
  
“H-hey, Regina, I need you to come pick me up.” Kayden responded, deciding he couldn’t walk anymore and lowering himself to the ground.  
  
Automatically, Regina’s voice became worried, “Where are you?”  
  
“I’m not sure, uhm, the side of the road?” He looked around, trying to find a good indication of where he was, “I’m by a sign that says twenty miles to Bridgeport.”  
  
“Well, that’s not very specific, but I’ll find it. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you, Kayden?” She asked.  
  
“No, that’s okay, I’ll see you when you get here.” Kayden muttered, hanging up before Regina could say anything else. He then pulled his knees up to his chest, putting his arms around his legs and sighing. It was then he felt something on his neck, something wet. With that realization came the pain. Wincing, the half-ling reached a hand up, gasping as he brought it forward and saw crimson shining on his fingers. What had Darian done to him? Did he- did he _bite_ Kayden?  
  
The half-ling decided not to ponder it and instead focused on waiting for Regina and telling her everything that had happened. He’d probably be questioned much more after that, but hopefully the man would be brought in and thrown in jail or at least get mental help. After all, did the man really believe he was a vampire? Did anyone actually believe that about themselves?  
  
After around ten minutes, Regina pulled up next to Kayden in her beat up black Ford. The half-ling noticed the lack of a police car, which meant she wasn’t on duty. He felt quite bad for bothering her when she was off but knew it was a very important matter.  
  
The woman jumped out of the car, running quickly to Kayden and kneeling next to him.  
  
“Kayden! What happened? Why are you bleeding? Who did this to you?” The look that her friend gave her was an indication that he didn’t want to answer those questions out in the open, instead she practically lifted him off the ground and into the car. Regina shut the door and moved around to the other side, climbing in herself and doing a quick U-turn before going back into town. “Okay, now do you want to explain what happened?” She asked, turning the heat on full-blast.  
  
“I was performing at the cafe and a man came in and complimented my voice. We started talking, and I guess we really hit things off. He said he wanted to take me home and have dinner with me so I said okay. When we left, I kind of zoned out because I was looking at the sky, but, when I tuned back in, he said something about drinking my blood. Before I could say anything, he knocked me out I think. My head hurts, and I don’t remember much else.” Kayden explained, his voice wavering in a few places.  
  
Regina stayed quiet, unsure what to think about the situation. The woman had always been a strong believer of the supernatural, though she wasn’t sure how to convince Kayden of that as well. The man Kayden met sounded like a vampire, though what she didn’t understand is why he’d just let Kayden go, unless there was something more to the situation. Instead of trying to say anything to him about the supernatural itself, she tried a different approach; something to get more information out of him.  
  
“Well, what was his name? What did he drive? What did he look like? You’ll probably be interviewed later about all of that, but I figured I’d ask now so I can do my own little investigation.” The woman said.  
  
“He said his name was Darian Ampora. He drove a purple Mercedes.” Kayden had to think of a way to describe Darian as it was hard for him to find the proper words, “He looked old, but also really young, I guess like he’d seen a lot of shit happen. He had black hair that was slicked back and he dressed really nicely - like suit nicely. It looked like he had just come from some kind of formal event rather than just moving into a town.”  
  
The woman froze. Darian Ampora. She knew that name. She had heard many stories from her mother and father growing up; stories of a vampire named Darian who was ruthless and unkind and hadn’t turned anyone. Though if he hadn’t, why turn Kayden? What was so special about him? Regina grew confused, and she wanted answers. However, there was no way to get them for if the stories were true. Darian would kill her before she got one word out.  
  
“I’ll get a warrant out for his arrest, Kayden. Don’t worry.” Regina muttered, focusing on the road though her eyebrows had furrowed.  
  
“Thanks. Honestly, he’s probably some weird crackpot or something. He definitely needs to be locked up.” Kayden said softly before laying his head against the cool glass of the window. His neck still hurt quite a bit, but he was with a friend that made him feel safe. That was all that mattered at that moment.


	3. Chapter Three

Kayden awoke with his body aching. It was hard for him to open his eyes or even comprehend anything that was going on around him. Eventually, he was able to get up and move around, though it was hard to do so as pain moved through his body. He went about his morning routine, wishing Regina or one of his brothers were there with him. Though he didn’t want them to worry, so he knew it was probably for the best that they weren’t around.  
  
The half-ling quickly got dressed and headed to the church for a morning of singing and the Good Lord filling the town’s hearts. Just the thought of going made his head pound and heart ache, though he wasn’t sure why that was.  
  
The man walked up to Franklin Christian Church, his heart pounding and sweat beginning to drip down his face. Why was he having this reaction? What was going on with him?  
  
Trying to push how he was feeling from the forefront of his mind, Kayden opened the doors and took a few steps in before he froze, eyes widening as his body felt like it had been caught on fire. He stood in place for a few seconds before falling backward out of the building and right into an elderly couple.  
  
Kayden muttered out a quick ‘sorry’ and stumbled away quickly. He had to get away from the church; he had to get somewhere else, away from the public eye. Regina’s? No, she was at work. His apartment? Negative, it wouldn’t be wise for him to be alone, especially with the way he was feeling. The only other place he could think of was his brother’s. Though they weren’t exactly his biological brothers. Kayden’s mother had abandoned him when he was first born, and his father had died when he was six, which left him with no one. That is, until the Nitram’s heard of his problem. Sage Nitram took him in and treated Kayden like his own, whereas Rufioh and Tavros Nitram treated him as a brother.  
  
Without a second thought, Kayden began moving toward the Nitram household, keeping his head down and trying not to stumble too much. The last thing he wanted was to be stopped and then quarantined for some sort of new illness. There were very few illnesses that traveled through Franklin and with how sick the half-ling felt, he knew there would be a major uproar if someone were to see him and question what was wrong.  
  
It took him about a half an hour to finally reach his old home, but he managed without being seen. With a heaving chest and tears in his eyes from his aching body, Kayden knocked on the door.  
  
Rufioh Nitram answered, the smile on his face quickly faltering when he saw the state of his brother.  
  
“Holy shit, Kayden, what happened to you?” He gasped, dark brown eyes widening as he gave the other a once over.  
  
“Si-sick,” Kayden whispered, eyes downward. He was growing weaker by the minute but didn’t know why. All he wanted was to sit down or go to a freezer and stick his head inside it for the rest of the week.  
  
“Come on man, get inside.” Rufioh said, grabbing Kayden’s arm and dragging him over to the couch, sitting him down, “Dad, I need to talk to you! Tavros, get your ass down here!”  
  
Rufioh Nitram had always been the more fatherly type in the household. Sage was almost always out doing other things, though no one was ever sure exactly what he did. Tavros was too young to do much of anything at only fifteen. Rufioh and Kayden had always talked about moving out of the town and getting an apartment in New York or somewhere quite big and starting a band; however, everything was crushed with the realization that they would never leave.  
  
Tavros quickly bounded down the stairs, his mud colored eyes filled with concerned, “What is it?”  
  
“I need you to get a wet washcloth and ice and lots of it. Now.” Rufioh said, “Apply it to all of his major arteries; neck, wrists, chest. I’ll be back, I have to talk to dad.” And with that he went upstairs.  
  
He walked up to Sage’s door, taking a deep breath before knocking.  
  
“Yes, yes what is it?” A gruff voice asked, sounding rather impatient.  
  
“I need to come in. Now. It’s an emergency,” Rufioh answered, opening the door without waiting for a response.  
  
Sage had obviously been working on something important, but Rufioh simply didn’t care at that point. He /had/ to talk to his father.  
  
“Kayden’s here, and he smells absolutely fucking repulsive.” Rufioh said quickly, pushing his red and black colored hair out of his face. He knew what it meant; the Nitrams had heard the stories. Kayden Vantas had been bitten by a vampire.  
  
“What do you mean?” Sage asked, concern now filling his face.  
  
“I mean from the second I saw him, the smell just hit me, and he’s sick, Dad. Really, really sick.”  
  
That was all Sage needed to hear before he was out of his seat in no time, moving down the stairs and into the living room where Tavros sat next to Kayden, applying ice to the half-ling’s skin. The youngest Nitram’s face had paled quite a bit, which was the perfect signal that he smelled it, too.  
  
Sage stepped up to Kayden, kneeling in front of him, though he wanted to be away from the Vantas- far far away.  
  
“Kayden, what happened? Do you know what you’re sick with?” He asked, eyebrows furrowing.  
  
“There was a man at the cafe yesterday that liked my voice, and he eventually invited me to dinner at his place, so I said okay and we drove off. He said something about drinking my blood and then knocked me out.” Kayden responded, “I’m assuming the fake fangs or whatever had something on him. I don’t know. I’ve never felt this sick before.”  
  
Sage looked up at Rufioh, giving him a small nod as a confirmation before turning back toward the other.  
  
“And what was his name?” Sage asked.  
  
“Darian Ampora.” Kayden muttered before he laid back and closed his eyes.  
  
Sage stood up straight, his face paling greatly, a lot like Tavros’ had. Without another word, he walked away, pushing past Rufioh. He went back upstairs with Rufioh tailing behind him closely.  
  
“Dad, will you tell me what’s going on?” Rufioh asked lowly, trying not to capture Kayden’s attention.  
  
“Darian Ampora.” Sage growled, not stopping or explaining anything else. He reached his office and went inside, automatically going to his wall of books and grabbing a few, leafing through them and trying to find the correct page that would only prove his mind to be correct.  
  
Rufioh quietly watched, though closed the office door behind him, waiting for his father to say something, anything.  
  
Finally, Sage once again stood up straighter, only to sit down in his seat, an exasperated look on his face. There was nothing he could do. There was virtually _nothing_ he could do. Darian Ampora was a rather powerful vampire, so nothing could be done about him. He couldn’t. No one could. The man looked up to his eldest son and shook his head.  
  
“We aren’t killing Kayden. I refuse. There has to be something we can do, Dad.” Rufioh said, his hands tightening into fists, “I don’t care who the fuck turned him, we aren’t going to kill Kayden. We aren’t.”  
  
“Calm down, Rufioh. No, we won’t kill him, but we can’t kill his maker either- for a few reasons actually. The first is the fact that Darian is much too powerful, the second is the fact that Kayden will have no one else. We are not vampires, and the ones that are here are very territorial, plus once they find out who Kayden is, they’ll do anything in their power to get a hold of him.” Sage explained, keeping himself calm and resigned.  
  
Rufioh nodded, “I’ll keep an eye on Kayden and make sure everything goes okay.” He paused for a moment before looking at his father, “He’s going to die, isn’t he?”  
  
“Yes, and when he reawakens he’ll be a bloodthirsty monster.” Sage growled, obviously quite frustrated with the entire situation, “Leave me be, Rufioh. Go spend time with Kayden while you still can.”  
  
Rufioh nodded and exited his father’s room, going back down the stairs and approaching the half-ling slowly. Why was he acting so afraid of him? He and Kayden had always been rather close, they could pull through this. Would it be hard on both of them? Yes, of course, but it was part of being a family; shit would happen, but in the end, the love would conquer all.  
  
Tavros looked up at his brother, all of the ice had melted, though Rufioh could still feel the heat radiating off of Kayden from where he stood. Needless to say, the eldest Nitram child was worried. He wasn’t sure what to do or what to say, though it would be near impossible to say anything to Kayden as he was completely out of it. In fact, it looked like he was already dead. His face had paled tremendously, his lips looked like they were gaining a bluish tone to them, and he looked weak and frail. Rufioh looked down at Tavros and moved his head to the side, indicating Tavros could go. The youngest nodded and stood up, but not before giving Kayden’s hand a soft squeeze.  
  
Shaking softly, Rufioh took his younger brother’s place and gripped Kayden’s hand, praying to whatever gods were out there that the half-ling would be okay; that everything wouldn’t boil down to his final death. Rufioh had already buried so many others, he didn’t want Kayden to be another.


	4. Chapter Four

Darian Ampora wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He spent most of his time pacing and watching the local news, waiting to hear about rampages and nonsense about vampires being thrown around causing everyone to panic. He hadn’t known who Kayden was, though he should’ve realized when he saw the eyes or when the first time he got a whiff of Kayden he thought something was off. How was he supposed to know the man was a half-ling?  
  
The vampire’s head spun as he knew he _needed_ to be there; all new vampires needed their creator by their side. Unfortunately, Darian hadn’t had that upbringing, and he cost a few towns their lives. He didn’t want the same thing to happen to Kayden, especially since there were other supernatural beings in Franklin. They would rip him to shreds, no questions asked.  
  
He needed help but didn’t know where to turn. Darian had exhausted almost every option; every person. But there was no one. Nothing.  
  
That is, until the realization hit him. Of course. Rosa Maryam. Why hadn’t he thought of it before? The vampire felt like a complete dolt as he pulled out his cellphone, dialing Rosa’s number and holding the phone to his ear, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited.  
  
“Hello?” A melodic voice answered, almost mirroring Kayden’s- despite the fact that it was much more feminine.  
  
“Rosa, it’s Darian Ampora.”  
  
“Ah, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Rosa asked, her voice becoming quite cheery.  
  
When Darian was first turned and left by himself for three years, it was Rosa that took him in. She was his everything, his crutch -he leaned on her for thirty years before he finally felt comfortable enough to go off on his own. After that, they rarely talked until there was a meeting for all vampires in America, and they met up again. Still, they hadn’t been the closest of friends for quite a long time as Rosa was a very busy vampire, with many things to do.  
  
“I have met your son.” Darian said softly, almost frightened.  
  
“Kayden. And how is he?” She asked, her voice growing into a slight monotone sound.  
  
“He was good. He had a life. And then-“  
  
“And then what? Why are you talking in past tense about him, Darian? What have you done to my son?” Rosa nearly growled.  
  
“Because, I bit him. I was going to drain him, but then I really smelled him, and I eventually put two-and-two together. He has your eyes, Rosa. In fact, he’s nearly the spitting image of you.” Darian said, sitting down. He couldn’t stand anymore.  
  
“Don’t you try to excuse your actions with flattery, Darian Ampora. I should come to you and shove a stake straight through your heart right now. Do you understand that I was trying to keep him from all this? Do you understand that I didn’t want him to live the life of a vampire? At least not until he was ready?” Rosa was practically yelling at this point.  
  
“No, I did not know that, but he’s a half-ling, Rosa. He was bound to be found out sooner or later.” Darian shouted back defensively, “I didn’t have any other choice, okay?”  
  
Rosa sighed, pausing for a few moments before she was finally able to speak again. “Has he fully turned yet?”  
  
“No, he still has a day.”  
  
“Good. I’ll be there soon. Are you with him?” She asked.  
  
“No, he panicked when he woke up, and I haven’t seen him since. I don’t even know where he is at the moment.” Darian responded.  
  
“Try to find him, I’d like it if you got him away from anyone that has blood pumping through their systems.”  
  
“Got it, anything else?” Darian asked, waiting for more commands he was more than willing to follow. After all, it was only right. He had turned her son.  
  
“No, I don’t need you to get anything else from me, but I would like to say something,” said Rosa.  
  
“What’s that?” It was obvious he sounded nervous, and Rosa had definitely picked up on it.  
  
“You are to stay with Kayden until he is fully trained, the same way I stayed with you. Do you understand?” was her final request. She desperately wanted him to have his maker by his side, and Darian could tell in her tone.  
  
“Yes, ma’am.” Darian responded, knowing it was the right thing to do and desiring it himself.  
  
“If I find out you didn’t, I will kill you myself; I don’t care who made you or what importance you hold over our world. Do you understand?” Rosa spoke with a very stern voice, full of venom should he not follow through with her requests and commands.  
  
“Yes, ma’am.” Darian repeated, knowing if he said anything else it would only agitate Rosa more.  
  
“Good. I’ll see you soon.” Rosa said before the line went dead.  
  
Darian lowered the phone from his ear and threw it against the wall, watching as it smashed to pieces. Shit! He most definitely regretted calling Rosa, but at the same time, the vampire knew it needed it to be done. He would need all the help he could get in order to get Kayden away from his friends and family. Plus there was the fact that he had to fake his own death, which was going to be a feat in itself, especially since the half-ling didn’t believe anything supernatural. Darian wondered if anyone close to him was in the know about anything. Or if they were even filling Kayden in about anything. What if they were still keeping him in the dark?  
  
The vampire stood up quickly, realizing he needed to find Kayden and fast, before it was too late.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for Death in this chapter.

It had been two days, but felt more like eternity. Kayden was dying. It was inevitable, though he wasn’t sure what to do about it. Did he need to go about his daily life and pretend nothing was happening? Was he supposed to sit around and wait for death to take him? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he needed to trust his father, Sage’s, word.  
  
The Nitrams had been avoiding him since he came and was laid in his old bedroom upstairs. It was almost as if the half-ling was contagious, and the others didn’t want to catch it. He had been ignoring all calls from Regina and from the pastor at the church. How could he face any of them? All he could hope for was that Darian Ampora had been caught and was now locked up forever.  
  
Eventually, Kayden knew he needed to answer Regina’s call, though it was quite hard to do when he was coughing up blood every twenty minutes. Still, he pulled through, dialing her number and holding the phone up to his ear weakly.  
  
“Kayden! Finally! Why in the hell have you been ignoring my calls?” Regina asked, sounding relieved but angry as well.  
  
“’M still sick,” Kayden responded, surprised by how raspy his voice sounded. He barely talked anymore. What was the point?  
  
“Ugh. I’m coming over. I’m assuming you’re still at the Nitrams’ household?” she asked.  
  
The half-ling nodded. He quickly realized Regina couldn’t exactly see him, so he decided to speak up, “Yeah.”  
  
“Okay, I’ll be there shortly. Hang in there, Kayden.” Regina said, her voice softening once again.  
  
Kayden practically dropped his phone, pulling the comforter over his head and closing his eyes, trying to will away all the thoughts of his impending death. Three days. That was all he had when Sage first told him, now he was down to one. The half-ling never received an answer when he asked what was wrong with him. His initial thought was that Darian Ampora really was a vampire, but he quickly ruled that out, knowing it was impossible. Vampires only existed in movies and books. They were just horror stories; they weren’t real.  
  
The half-ling’s next guess was that this was some strange sort of flu that would take his life quickly. Although, he assumed Sage would’ve told him if that had been the case, or he would have escorted Kayden to the nearest hospital just to make sure it never happened again. Sage would’ve done _something_ if Kayden really did have the flu.  
  
The half-ling’s third guess was that Darian had some sort of venom in his teeth (or fake fangs) that was injected into Kayden’s system. It didn’t make complete sense to him as he’d come up with the theory when he was zoning in and out, but the idea was something.  
  
After around ten minutes of waiting, there was a quick knock on his bedroom door, followed by it opening. Rufioh stepped in, his eyes cast downward. Despite that, Kayden could see there were dark circles under his eyes, which were puffy and red.  
  
“Regina’s here. I’m going to let her in,” he whispered before leaving the room. That was how things usually worked with the Nitrams’ walking in and out. They would deliver food or water and help him go to the bathroom, but they wouldn’t look at him and they’d usually hold their breath. Sure, Kayden hadn’t showered in a few days, but did he already smell that bad? Did he already smell like someone had died?  
  
Regina was next to step in, walking cautiously over to her dying friend. Her face held no expression, but inside she was only feeling grief at what Kayden was to become. She had talked to Sage extensively on the matter. Kayden had been bitten by a vampire, which meant, he was ultimately going to become one, with the process being quite gruesome. The woman tried not to look into the garbage bag that sat next to the bed which was filling up with Kayden’s blood.  
  
“Kayden?” she asked softly, lowering herself onto the bed and gently picking up her friend’s hand. “Sweetheart?”  
  
The half-ling pulled the covers off himself, looking over at his companion and managing a small smile. “I’m still here.”  
  
“I would ask how you’re feeling, but, just by the way you look, I think it’s obvious that you aren’t doing too hot,” Regina commented, stating the obvious. Kayden had paled even more, looking almost as white as his sheets. His jade green eyes were still bright despite how much his eyes had sunken. The half-ling had lost a lot of weight and looked as if he were about to die right then and there.  
  
The half-ling didn’t say anything in response to her, instead laying there, looking at the plain white ceiling as if he found it absolutely fascinating.  
  
“What’s on your mind?” Regina asked, tilting her head, not taking her eyes off the other.  
  
“I’m just- wondering how painful death will be. I’m wondering if I’ll go to Heaven or Hell. I feel like- I’ve lead a good life, but maybe I haven’t. Why- why is God doing this to me? Is it re-ally my time to go?” A few tears escaped the corners of the half-ling’s eyes, and, for the first time since she’d entered, true emotion made itself known on Regina’s face. She didn’t want Kayden to have to ask himself these questions. He was only twenty-two. He still had his entire life ahead of him.  
  
“I wish I could answer those questions Kayden, but I can’t. I’m so sorry you have to go through this. If there’s anything I can do, just ask, okay?” Regina asked, giving Kayden’s hand a soft squeeze.  
  
“Is he in jail?” he asked, his eyes snapping open and looking up at Regina.  
  
The woman automatically knew who the other was talking about, but wasn’t sure what to say. Should she lie to him even though she knew his fate? No matter what, he’d find out the truth, but was she prepared to say anything? She had spoken to the Nitrams, so she was well informed of everything going on, but should she just come clean about everything right then and there? What would he think of them? It was obvious: he’d think they were crazy. He would die wondering why everyone was siding with the crazy man that had done this to him. Regina couldn’t put him through that. She refused.  
  
“Yes, Kayden, he’s in jail. He won’t hurt anyone else.” Regina said, feeling bad about lying but knowing it would benefit him in the long run.  
  
Kayden smiled, looking back up at the ceiling before his breath caught. His eyes widened as he began gasping, as if he couldn’t get a breath in. Regina stood up, moving beside him, tears pooling in her eyes. It was time. He was going to die.  
  
“I’m right here, Kayden. I’m here. Just let go, okay? Don’t fight anymore,” the woman whispered, trying to keep herself from choking on her tears. “I’m here.”  
  
Kayden let out a soft whine before he went silent, eyes closing as he grew quiet and still. Regina finally let out a sob, checking for a pulse, but finding nothing. The woman knew she’d have to let the Nitrams know, despite the fact that there was nothing that could be done; at least, until he woke up. After that, Regina only hoped everything wouldn’t go to complete hell.


	6. Chapter Six

Waiting. Why was it such a difficult thing to do? Regina and the Nitrams paced back and forth, trying to think of anything else aside from the death of Kayden. Of course, he wouldn’t stay dead; he’d be waking up as a vampire. Everyone was nervous. How would Kayden react? What would his being a vampire entail? Would he wreak havoc on the town?

 

Sage finally spoke up on the matter, although he didn’t exactly want to. They had sat in silence for over three hours, so when his booming voice sounded, everyone jumped about a mile in the air.

 

“I’m not saying it will happen, but if it does, someone needs to be in charge of killing Kayden. If he’s too out of control or tries to kill everything- or worse, everyone- in his sight, he needs to be taken down. Any offers?” the man asked, looking around at the other three, who didn’t move a muscle or speak a word. Why would they offer to kill him? They knew they wouldn’t be able to do it.

 

“If no one speaks up, I’ll do it myself. It’ll be quick, and he won’t feel a thing.” Sage said, earning a nod from everyone but still nothing vocal.

 

Tavros stood up, looking at everyone before shaking his head and leaving the room. The young Nitram had always had trouble speaking up and saying what was on his mind, and this was no exception. Though, it was obvious what he was thinking. Why was Sage jumping to conclusions? Why was he already figuring out who would be the one to kill Kayden? Was there no faith? Still, Regina and Rufioh stayed quiet, also not wanting to speak on it. They didn’t want to make Sage angry.

 

The three then went back to silence, once again waiting. However, they were interrupted by a loud knock at the door. Rufioh looked at Sage quickly who raised a brow; he wasn’t expecting anyone. Regina quickly figured that out and took a gun out of her bag, cocking it and standing. She knew it probably wouldn’t do much good, it was still a nice precaution, especially since silver bullets were lethal to many supernatural beings.

 

She moved to the door and took a small breath before opening it, keeping her gun to her side. When she saw the being that stood over the threshold, she froze.

 

“What in the fuck are you doing here?” She growled, staring the being down.

 

“I take it you are Regina Pyrope. Very nice. I am going to have to ask you to move. I need to get to Kayden before he rips all of your throats out. He is going to be a newborn, and he will not hesitate to kill and drain anyone that has a pulse.” The man- Darian- growled, wanting nothing more than to push her aside and find Kayden himself.

 

“You’re not entering, Darian. We have everything under control here, so you can leave.” Regina knew she probably shouldn’t test the vampire, but he had been the one to cause all of this; he was at fault.

 

“I’m sorry, but are any of you here vampires? No? I did not think so, now step aside before I need to force my way through.” The vampire growled, baring his teeth at the woman as his eyes went red and fangs extended.

 

Regina shied away slightly, and that was all Darian needed. He pushed her aside, stepping in and looking at the two Nitrams that sat on the couch. The vampire snorted at them before moving upstairs quickly. Kayden was quite easy to sniff out, as most newborn vampires were.

 

The vampire opened the door slowly, walking into Kayden’s room and sitting on the edge of the bed. Darian let his tough exterior crumble as his face fell. He hated what he did and absolutely loathed himself for it even if  he knew he had to do it. Other vampires would be after him; he had no choice.

 

Darian sighed and pulled out his phone, dialing Rosa’s number and holding the phone to his ear.

 

“Darian, do you have my son? I am waiting at your home and yet, you are not here,” Rosa answered, not bothering with trivial greetings. She didn’t care, and, at the moment, she wasn’t too fond of Darian.

 

“I am sitting right next to him, Rosa. Just wait for another few minutes, I’ll be there shortly,” Darian responded, “He hasn’t woken up yet.”

 

“Well hurry; the last thing we need is him waking up on your way. You know how strong newborns are,” Rosa muttered, and Darian could just see her rolling her eyes.

 

“Yes, ma’am,” the vampire muttered before hanging up the phone and placing it back in his pocket. He then stood and looked down at Kayden, trying to figure out how he was going to carry the half-ling out unnoticed.

 

Darian moved over to the bedroom door, looking out for any signs of Regina or the Nitrams before closing the door and picking up the dead man. He let out a small huff before crossing the room to the window and opening it with ease. It was a two story drop which was nothing for a vampire.

 

The vampire looked out the window into the night, making sure no one was around before jumping out. He landed on the hardened ground softly and flitted off. Vampires were able to move very quickly whenever they pleased without getting tired. Most called it ‘flitting’, but it was a learned practice that many had to figure out with the help of their maker.

 

He arrived at his mansion two minutes later, slowing down to a walk and opening the door with ease, setting Kayden on the couch.

 

“I have arrived, Rosa!” he called, standing back and looking down at the other. He still hadn’t woken up. How long had it been? He figured he probably should’ve asked Regina before automatically assuming things and going upstairs. What if he had only died five minutes prior? Nevertheless, he assumed it was better than nothing.

 

Rosa Maryam stepped into the living room wearing a long black and green dress, as she usually wore very elegant things, definitely living in the olden days rather than moving forward with the rest of the world. Her raven hair was cut short, and her jade green eyes looked angry, as they had for the past two days. Rosa was usually kind and open to everyone, always full of love, but after she had learned what Darian did, all of that changed.

 

“How is he? Has he woken u- Oh God, my baby!” Rosa gasped, quickly moving past Darian and to Kayden’s side. She ran her fingers through the dead man’s thick black hair gently as she looked down at him with concern gracing her features. “Do you know when he is to wake up?”

 

Darian shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest and moving to a seat away from Rosa and her son. He didn’t want to be involved any longer, though he knew Rosa wouldn’t let him out of it. He would have to take care of Kayden, despite not being sure how to go about it. It was clear the half-ling turned vampire now hated him, but he’d have to be taught different things. After that, he could go about his life as a vampire while Darian spent the rest of his alone, which was more than fine with him- at least, that’s what he told himself.

 

“I guess we will just have to wait, then. His emotions are going to be heightened so it is best for him to not know that I am his mother. Therefore, I believe it would be best for you to take him hunting first,” Rosa said, standing up straight, though she wished to be back by her son’s side. She hated the fact that she would have to hide the fact that Kayden was her son. It didn’t sit well with her, but Rosa knew that if she were to come clean right after Kayden woke up, it would only mean bad things for her and Darian- and perhaps even the town. Rosa wasn’t willing to take that risk.

 

“Understood,” Darian responded, not wanting to say much more, as he understood where Rosa was coming from. Newborns were best not to be pissed off, especially due to the fact that they could quickly go off the handle and destroy an entire state depending on the situation.

 

Rosa gave Kayden one last glance before leaving the room, leaving Darian and Kayden alone. The vampire wasn’t exactly sure what to do. What would Kayden think when he woke up and saw the other sitting there? How would he react? Their last interaction hadn’t exactly been the greatest.

  
He sighed, laying back and closing his eyes, waiting for the other to wake up. Waiting... Waiting... Waiting...


	7. Chapter Seven

Kayden awoke with a gasp. He didn’t know where he was; the room was large and brightly lit. The vampire automatically noticed he was on a couch. There was another few loveseats and armchairs in the room along with a coffee table. The man looked around further, noticing a figure sitting on the loveseat. It took a few seconds, but Kayden automatically realized there was something... off. It was as if everything was in high definition, at least more so than usual for a human. He wondered where he was and what had happened. Was he waiting to be sent to either Heaven or Hell? Had Regina or one of the Nitrams moved him somewhere else?  
  
The newborn sat up, moving a hand back and scratching at his neck. It was... burning, almost like he’d swallowed bleach, and his stomach growled like he hadn’t eaten in days. Kayden didn’t understand what was going on.  
  
“Regina?” he called, voice slightly hoarse as he didn’t know how long it’d been since he’d spoken.  
  
“She is not here,” a familiar voice responded, making Kayden freeze completely. Of course... Darian. He wasn’t in jail. Regina had lied. The question was: how did Darian get a hold of him? Regina or Sage wouldn’t let him in Darian’s possession, would they?  
  
“Why am I here?” Kayden asked, fear beginning to consume him, “What happened to me? I thought I was supposed to die.”  
  
“You did,” Darian said, “and before you freak out, let me explain.” He paused for a moment, making sure Kayden wasn’t going to run off again. “I know you are not open to this type of thing, but you need to listen and become open- and quickly- because this is who you are now. I am a vampir,e and when I bit you, I injected a venom into you that turned you into what I am- a vampire, to clarify. You started out with a flu-like sickness, yes? After that, it escalated into coughing up your own blood, and then finally, you died. Only now, you have awakened from the dead and are now a part of the supernatural world- the world that you have been so very ignorant about. There is so much you do not know, Kayden, but I am more than willing to offer if you would be willing to listen.”  
  
Kayden sat in stunned silence, trying to process everything Darian just told him. Was Darian trying to tell him that they were both vampires? That was impossible though, simply because vampires weren’t real. There was no way. They were fictional creatures along with werewolves, fairies, and mermaids. Right? Or was Darian right? Was all of this real? Had he been closed down to a new world he wasn’t even aware of?  
  
“I honestly still think you’re crazy, _but_ I’ll humor you for a little while. What do you need or want to tell me, Darian?” Kayden asked, crossing his arms over his chest and sitting back. The burning in his throat was growing quickly, making him more and more uncomfortable, but he didn’t want to say anything about it.  
  
“Well, for one, I would like to ask what you know about vampires already,” Darian said, leaning forward in his seat.  
  
Kayden nodded, clearing his throat. “I’ve seen a few movies on vampires, but I haven’t looked into them because I was never open to the supernatural. I never thought anything was real. I know that sunlight is dangerous to vampires, churches are fatal as well as garlic. Uhm, crosses, silver, and stakes can kill a vampire. Vampires can’t see their reflections. Oh, and they can turn into bats.”  
  
Darian nodded, realizing Kayden had a more extensive knowledge on vampires, but there were still a few things that needed to be discussed and sorted through. He only hoped the other was a quick learner.  
  
“Sunlight is dangerous, but only if we are in it for an extensive period of time. Churches are very fatal, so if you stepped foot in one after I bit you, you probably noticed it was rather painful. That is why. As for that, holy water and crosses are also dangerous, but they cannot kill us.” Darian paused, letting Kayden take in all the information he had given thus far. “Silver weakens us, but cannot kill us. Stakes can kill, but we have to be staked through the heart- straight through the middle. The other method of killing a vampire is beheading. No one can survive a beheading. Vampires can in fact see their reflections. That is actually quite a funny myth if I am being honest here,” Darian chuckled. “As for bats, no, that is another funny myth. I do wish it were factual at times, however.” He stopped, once again letting Kayden process it all. “Any questions?”  
  
Kayden sat still, listening to every single thing Darian was saying. Though he didn’t have questions, he was still wondering how it all worked. How were vampires created? He decided that those weren’t the proper questions to be asking at that moment in time. Instead he shook his head, making it clear that the other could keep going.  
  
“Now, we need to talk about a vampire’s diet. I know it probably seems overwhelming now- the fact that you are going to have to start drinking blood- but it is necessary if you want to stay sane and not kill innocent civilians. There are a few vampires that prefer innocents, some that prefer criminals, and others that stick to animals. No matter what, you have to kill, for if you do not, the person you drink from could potentially turn into a vampire as well. You do not want that on your hands,” Darian explained, sitting back in his seat. He couldn’t lie. He was pleasantly surprised with how well Kayden was taking everything in.  
  
Kayden didn’t know what to make of the fact that he’d have to kill. How could he do something like that? Criminal or not, he’d still be killing a human being, which was something he knew he wouldn’t be able to do. Killing was against everything he believed in. How could he do something like that willingly? The vampire bit at his lip, thinking that animals would be the best way to go, but still feeling quite wary about it.  
  
“What are you thinking about?” Darian asked, his head tilting to the side slightly.  
  
“I can’t kill, Darian. I’ve always hated the thought of it, and the fact that I’m going to have to start doing it just doesn’t sit well with me. I can’t do something so horrible,” Kayden responded softly. There was absolutely no point in lying, so he spoke exactly what was on his mind.  
  
“You have to in order to survive,” Darian said, hoping Kayden wouldn’t make a fuss about that, but realizing it was a lost hope. “I did not want to kill either, and I ended up destroying many cities because of it. I refused to eat, and it drove me crazy. You will not die by not eating, Kayden. You will go mad.”  
  
The vampire shook his head, “It still isn’t right, though. I would rather die than kill humans in order to sustain myself.”  
  
“It does not work like that!” Darian growled before clearing his throat. Did the man not understand anything he was saying? Unless Kayden were to kill himself, he would have to kill for the blood of humans. There would be no way around it. “You are a vampire now. You have to do as vampires do. There is not a way to get past it, Kayden.”  
  
Kayden stood quickly, “Well I’m going to try. This conversation is over. Tell me how to get home.”  
  
Darian couldn’t help but smirk cruelly at the other’s words. Did he really just expect that he could slam a door and everything would disappear? Nothing Darian was speaking of was fantasy. It was all real, very very real.  
  
“No Kayden, I do not think you understand. You are not to go home until you have learned to control yourself- control your hunger.”  
  
“You mean until I’ve learned to kill.” The other growled, glaring daggers at the elder vampire.  
  
The smirk was still on Darian’s face. The younger was ignorant, that much was clear. He knew that his best bet would be to get Rosa into the room. He sighed, throwing his hands up in mock defeat, “Okay, obviously you know best. However, before you go, I would like to introduce you to someone.”  
  
Kayden cocked a brow, giving the other an incredulous look. He just wouldn’t give up, would he? The younger knew he didn’t have time for this. All he wanted was to get back home and call Regina. He wanted answers, but not from Darian. He wanted answers from someone he knew and could trust.  
  
Whilst Kayden was lost in thought, Darian stood and went to the other room where Rosa was waiting.  
  
“Well?” she questioned softly.  
  
The vampire shook his head, “He is not willing to comply. You are going to have to talk to him yourself.”  
  
Rosa sighed, nodding and standing up, smoothing out her dress before walking past Darian and into the living area. She approached her awakened son slowly, still wanting to just blurt out who she was, but knowing that it still wasn’t time. Kayden was still fragile in his mental state, and Rosa knew that to disrupt him further would only make for a bloodbath.  
  
“Hello, Kayden. I know you do not know who I am, but I will explain if you would give me the chance,” Rosa started off softly, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.  
  
Kayden automatically noticed similarities between himself and the woman that stood in front of him, though he chose not to ponder on them for too long as the burning in his throat was growing to the point that it was almost unbearable. Instead of fighting the lectures, he simply nodded, wanting to get everything over with so he could find his way home.  
  
“I am known as The Dolorosa. I am one of the three original vampires that came to be over five-thousand years ago. You, however, can refer to me as Rosa Maryam. I am admittedly the kindest of the three- Melissa Serket and Candace Peixes. Melissa specializes in mind control, Candace is the ruthless leader of all vampires, so her word is what matters. It is best not to get on her bad side. I, on the other hand, am what is known as a Fertile. I can have children- vampire children or otherwise depending on whom it is I sleep with,” Rosa explained, barely leaving any room for pause, though Kayden didn’t mind much. “Obviously, the three of us began turning others into vampires as well, well, Melissa and Candace at least. I almost outright refused to turn anyone and instead went around and taught ones that were turned the way of the world and how to function as vampires. Melissa and Candace would turn humans and then leave them to fend for themselves, which I do not agree with. Newborn vampires should be taught everything there is to know about being a vampire. After that, they are free to make their own decisions based on what they were taught. If they use their vampiric abilities for wrongdoing, they are taken down. Are you following all of this, Kayden?”  
  
Kayden nodded, lost in his thoughts. His first question had been answered- kind of. Though he still didn’t understand how vampires were /created/. Had they been the work of God or were they the work of the Devil himself? Had Kayden been turned into an abomination? Was he now going to be damned to Hell? Then again, he had already been told he would go to Hell- he had already been damned. The newborn shook his head, trying not to think about his past, instead focusing on the present.  
  
“What is on your mind, dear?” Rosa asked, taking a seat on the couch where Kayden sat.  
  
“Everything and nothing at the same time,” the vampire muttered. He was surprised he didn’t have a horrible headache at all the information he was receiving. In fact, he was surprised that there was no pain at all, save for the still-growing pain in his throat.  
  
“Elaborate?”  
  
“Am I an abomination?” He blurted out before shaking his head and backtracking, “I understand everything going on, but I’m still not getting the answers I need. Is there a way I can survive without consuming blood? Is there a way I don’t have to _kill_ in order to feed? There has to be ways around some of these things.”  
  
Rosa offered a sad smile, “In the eyes of the world, yes, you would be considered an abomination. In terms of God, I cannot say I know, because I do not. In fact, I cannot say I have faith. Faith is something most vampires lose within the first year of being born- or rather, reborn.” She paused, wishing Kayden wouldn’t keep going back to feeding, but knowing it was vital that it be made clear he would _have_ to. A vampire just couldn’t get around not feeding; it wasn’t possible. “You have to feed, Dear. I cannot make that clearer to you. You _have_ to. I am sure either myself or Darian can do all the dirty work your first few times hunting, but you cannot always rely on someone else to do everything for you.”  
  
“I wish this wouldn’t have happened to me,” the newborn whispered, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. The burning in his throat was near unbearable at that point, “Could I have water or something? I have a burning in my throat, and it’s not going away. It’s like I drank Clorox or something.”  
  
The original vampire gave the other yet another sad smile, “Water will not make that go away, Kayden. Only blood will. What you are feeling is hunger.”  
  
Kayden gripped at his throat, wanting to rip it out, but knowing it wouldn’t solve anything unless he was able to behead himself or- something dawned on him that he had never actually thought of. Suicide. A stake right through the middle of his heart. It was brilliant, but could he do it? The thought of killing himself made him shiver and in that moment he knew he’d never have the guts to actually do it. Abomination or no, suicide was one of the biggest sins. Kayden figured that since he was already going to be damned anyway, it was best to just go along with what Rosa and Darian were telling him. Plus he just wanted his throat to stop burning.  
  
The newly reborn vampire looked up at Rosa and sighed, “What do I need to do to feed?”


	8. Chapter Eight

Kayden took a deep breath as he walked into town with Rosa by his side. The newborn vampire outright refused to have Darian come with him, though it was pointed out that Rosa wasn’t always going to be there. Plus, it was Darian’s job to teach Kayden everything as he was the one that turned him. The newborn didn’t like it, but he knew he had to deal with it.  
  
“So, before you and I get too far, I would like to explain a few things to you. First off, you need to know the process of taking down a human. I am assuming you will want to go after criminals due to the fact that animals are not filling and innocents, while they taste good, are- well- innocent. They do not deserve death. Most vampires go after an array of criminals, though I personally prefer those that are already on death row: murderers, rapists, child molesters and so on. They are the ones that deserve death. While they do not taste as good, they are still filling,” Rosa explained and in return Kayden nodded, though he kept his eyes forward, walking slowly.  
  
“Now, there are many ways you can go about bringing a criminal down. The first is by seducing them, which is honestly what many vampires prefer. It is a game for us, so to speak. The criminal does not know what is coming, and then it is all over. The other method is a sneak attack. You simply sneak up on them and snap their neck. It is quite easy to do and preferred for newborns, as seduction is tricky, especially if you do not know what you are doing. The last method is getting someone else to do so for you, which is what I am going to do. Once again, many newborns have this done a few times until they learn exactly what to do and how to go about everything. Are you following, dear?” Rosa finished, though she wasn’t completely done.  
  
“Yeah.” Kayden responded softly. He didn’t like the fact that vampires thought of killing humans as a simple game, though he supposed it made sense as of course that was how it was viewed. Were humans nothing more than a play toy to vampires? If that was the case, why not just go for all humans instead of strictly criminals? The newborn didn’t understand Rosa’s thought process, but he didn’t care to question it either.  
  
“Good. There is one more thing that needs to be explained before I go hunting for you, and that is what to actually do in order to kill. If you do not snap the human’s neck from the beginning, you are going to have to cover their mouth, for if they scream you will have to deal with the potential that someone will find you and question just what it is you are doing.” Rosa said, beginning to look around for any potentials. Being one of the original vampires, she was able to see just who was guilty and innocent, both in the vampire world and in the human world. She eventually locked her target on a man wearing a polo shirt- a murderer. “It would not be wise to get caught, Kayden. In fact, the penalty for revealing our kind would not only be a war, but your inevitable torture and death. Us vampires are very secret about who we are. Most of us have started rumors to be silly, however, we have never outright claimed that vampires are ‘real’,” Rosa continued explaining, though she figured at this point there was nothing left to say.  
  
“Now, I am going to get him, I would like you to follow me and watch the process I use.”  
  
Kayden nodded in response, staying quiet and hanging back slightly as Rosa moved forward, walking up to the man and giving him a gentle smile, as she began to speak, Kayden realized his hearing was inhuman. He was forty feet away and could hear every single thing Rosa was saying even though it was obvious she was talking in a whisper.  
  
“Hello, sir, I apologize for bothering you, but I need help starting my car. Nothing I do is working and you seem the type that understands just what to do in a situation like this.” Rosa spoke softly, batting her eyes slightly as she knew the man wouldn’t be able to deny her.  
  
“Oh, uh, yeah. I’ll see what I can do. Mind showing me to your car?” The man responded with a bright smile.  
  
Kayden followed behind slowly as Rosa lead the man into an alleyway.  
  
“This is just a simple shortcut,” she explained as she walked, her dress flowing in the wind. The vampire had done this many, many times so she would definitely be considered a professional by most. Though Rosa wouldn’t admit to many that she hated killing humans, it was slightly obvious. She felt compassion for every single thing in the world and hated harming anything; even those that did in fact deserve death.  
  
Rosa stopped the man in the alleyway, pretending she needed to grab something from her purse, before she looked around quickly, spotting Kayden and making sure he was watching. She then flitted over to the man and snapped his neck before he could process what was going on. The newborn vampire froze, his eyes widening as he watched what happened in front of him. It was all over so quickly. The man probably didn’t feel a single thing, but it was still the principal. He was dead now, and Kayden had to drink his blood.  
  
He walked up to Rosa cautiously as the woman fixed her hair and looked back to him, offering a small smile.  
  
“Now all you need to do is get close to him. You said your throat was burning, yes?” Rosa asked, Kayden nodding in response. “Once you get a whiff of the man, your instincts will take over. Fangs will protrude, your fingernails will form into claws, and your eyes will turn red. You will know what to do after that.”  
  
The newborn nodded, staring at the man’s body before taking a small breath and walking past the woman to the other. He held his breath, not wanting his ‘instincts’ to take over. Giving in meant he would really be a monster. Drinking blood meant he would be a complete abomination. Instead of pushing it all away, he was giving it in. Though, Kayden had never been strong. Never.  
  
He took a deep breath, almost losing himself in the sudden smell that filled his nostrils and moved through his body. It felt like it had been centuries since he’d last eaten and he was on his last leg. The smell was the equivalent to that of someone that hadn’t eaten in two weeks and had had a three-course meal set out in front of them. Kayden suddenly felt poking at his tongue. He arched a brow and reached his hand up, touching his teeth. With a pang, the vampire felt a sharp pair of fangs protruding from his gums. He brought his hands down, eyes widening when he saw the claws that had formed. It was all just as Rosa said, which meant his eyes were probably red as well. Though, in that moment, Kayden didn’t care. All he wanted was blood.  
  
The newborn looked down at the deceased man, a smile forming as he kneeled and moved the man’s head to the side. Kayden took another deep whiff before leaning down and biting into the man’s neck. The liquid that filled his mouth was thick and running, almost like syrup. However, while it had a bitter taste it was quite sweet. Kayden’s eyes closed as he lost himself in it, holding onto the man as he completely drained him.  
  
Rosa stood back and watched as her son ate, knowing he’d regret it afterward but very willing to help him through it. After all, this was his life now. Kayden had to accept it or die.


	9. Chapter Nine

Rosa and Kayden had gone back to Darian’s place.  The newborn vampire tried not to think about what he had done and instead focused on more questions to ask Rosa.  There was so much he didn’t know as everything was still so new to him, though there was also a part of him that needed to call Regina and the Nitrams.  Had they actually known what was going on with him?  If so, why hadn’t they told him?  Kayden was confused by it all.  His head swam with different questions for everyone, though he focused mainly on the ones for the one sitting next to him on the couch.  Rosa had gotten out fabric and sewing supplies and was working quietly, though her head was tilted slightly in Kayden’s direction, as if she knew he would have more questions for her.

“So, what does all of this mean?  What do you mean you’re one of the first original vampires?  How did you come to be?  Did God create you?”  Kayden asked, though finding he had a question for himself.  If God were real, why did he let such supernatural creatures run amuck?  Was it a test to see who was faithful and who wasn’t?  Had Kayden failed the test?

Rosa smiled softly, not stopping her work.  She had grown used to questions from newborns and had learned to multitask.  Most of the questions asked were ones that she’d heard before, though she had to admit that Kayden asked the questions most would ask in their third year of being a vampire.  Still, she didn’t mind.

“All of that is a very, very long story.  While I do quite enjoy answering questions, I think you have had enough information thrown at you since you have woken up in this very new world.  Perhaps talk to Darian for more answers, or you could call your friends.  I know they are probably very worried about you.  Your questions can and will be answered- though at a later time.”  Rosa explained, looking away from her work for a few moments before going right back to it.

Kayden nodded in response, though he didn’t want to talk to Darian, so instead he pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing Rufioh’s number.  He felt nervous, though that was probably to be expected.

“Kayden?  Oh my God, are you okay?  What’s going on?”  Rufioh’s frantic voice sounded when he answered.  He realized that Rufioh probably didn’t know where he was, which didn’t surprise him.  Kayden had been kidnapped by the vampries.

“It’s okay, Rufioh.  I’m with Darian and another woman named Rosa.  Look- I don’t know if you know what’s going on, but I have some things I need to tell you.”  Kayden responded, trying to keep his voice calm and collected.  While he knew Rosa told him not to spread around the fact that he was a vampire, Kayden refused to keep it from those that were most important in his life.

“Yeah, of course man.  Do I need to meet you somewhere or what?”

Rosa suddenly took the phone out of Kayden’s hand, giving Rufioh the address and informing him that he could bring his father and brother as well as Regina.  Rosa and Darian had done quite a bit of research on Kayden whilst the newborn was dying.  They had found out what school he went to, his grades, even the fact that he had married at eighteen though divorced when the relationship went sour; especially the since the fact that Kayden was gay had been brought to the surface which caused quite a bit of controversy.  However, the woman didn’t want to let Kayden in on the fact that she had snooped; at least not at that moment.  She hung up the phone and gave it back to the other, getting back to work on the project she was working on.

The newborn raised a brow at the woman, but decided against saying anything.  He sat back, instead thinking about what he was going to say to Rufioh and the others, if they decided to come.  All of them had been rather involved in terms of the supernatural, so they had to have known what was happening to Kayden, right?  Though he was dying, they didn’t seem /too/ upset about it.  In fact, Rufioh and the other two Nitrams stayed away from him most of the time.  In fact, Sage hadn’t said a single word to him and Tavros had walked away after ten minutes in the room.  It was as if none of them could stand to be around Kayden at that point.  He wasn’t sure what that meant, though.  Did they hate vampires?  Or did they actually believe Kayden was sick and it was contagious?  Either way, the newborn wanted answers and hoped he would get them.

After around twenty minutes, there was a knock at the door.  Kayden looked to Rosa who gave a quick nod.  He stood quickly and suddenly found himself standing in front of the door.  The newborn gasped, his eyes widening as it dawned on him that he had just flitted.  He couldn’t help the smile that grazed his features at the fact that he was able to do such a thing, though it fell when there was another knock.

He took a small breath before holding it completely and opening the door. The newborn didn’t want to have the same reaction as the first time he fed where he’d catch a whiff of the human and completely lose himself, especially if it involved his family or friends.

Rufioh stood across the threshold, Sage, Tavros, and Regina behind him.  They all looked solemn and downtrodden, though Regina managed a small smile.

“Hello, Kayden.  May we come in?”  Sage asked just as Regina had opened her mouth.

Kayden noticed quickly that the Nitrams had disgusted looks on their faces, making the newborn rather nervous.  They did know, didn’t they?  Why else would they look so disgusted?  Unless it was the fact that they had to visit the home that had kidnapped Kayden whilst he was on his deathbed.  Then again, wouldn’t they be asking /why/ he was suddenly better and not near-death any longer?

The newborn cleared his throat, nodding.  “Yeah, of course.”  He muttered before moving to the side and letting the four in.  As they all walked past, Rufioh and Regina gave him small nods while Tavros kept his eyes downward and Sage kept his gaze straight ahead.  Kayden tried not to think about that as he closed the door behind Sage, quickly walking in front of them- making sure he didn’t flit- and showing them to the living area where he noticed Rosa had moved.  He found himself thankful that she had, as he didn’t want to deal with any introductions at that point in time.

The three Nitrams sat on the couch together while Regina sat on the very armchair Darian had been sitting in when Kayden first woke up.  He wondered briefly where Darian had gone, as he hadn’t seen him at all.  Then again, the place he was in was rather big with many rooms that hadn’t been explored.  The vampire could’ve been in any one of them.  The newborn remained standing.

Kayden waited a few moments before speaking.  “Almost two days ago- the last time any of you saw me- I was on my deathbed...”  He trailed off, trying to find the best way to go about what he was trying to say.  He couldn’t exactly outright say he was a vampire; he couldn’t imagine what the others would do.  No, he had to tread carefully.  “In fact, I did die.  Regina was there, if I remember correctly,” he looked to Regina who nodded slightly, “while I was dead, a man came into the room and took me back here, where I eventually woke up.  When I did, I found something out that, well frankly, I can’t believe myself.  I’m- a vampire.”  He said, looking down.  He couldn’t face the others at that moment.  In fact, Kayden found that he wanted to flee the room and not look back.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s what happened.  I was bitten by a vampire and thus, turned into one.  All of you know that I am a man of faith, so I wouldn’t lie about something like this.  It’s not a joke.”  He finished, his eyes still downward as if the floor was much more interesting than the conversation. 

“We know, Kayden.”  Regina sighed, looking at the others briefly before facing the newborn vampire completely.  “Look, I didn’t tell you in the beginning because I knew you wouldn’t believe me, but now I think this is the best time.  I’m a witch, Kayden.  When you told me you were bitten by a man claiming to want your blood and when you first showed signs, I knew what was happening.  I didn’t tell you simply because of the fact that you were already so in denial about everything.”

Kayden’s heart sank.  Regina had been a witch and never told him?  He understood her logic, but still- that was something quite important to tell your best friend.  The newborn briefly wondered how it was possible that another world had been hidden from the humans.  There were myths, but nothing was set in stone.  Kayden nodded, wanting to ask for proof, but knowing Regina would do it; plus she wouldn’t have lied about something like that.  The woman was a prankster, but this was serious, she wouldn’t do anything like that.

He wasn’t able to find words to say, so he simply nodded instead.  Regina stood, afraid that she might’ve upset Kayden more than she expected.  The woman sighed, looking away briefly before standing and striding over to him.  She gripped him by the shoulders and pulled him close.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you, Kayden.  So so sorry.”  She whispered, holding him tightly.  Regina didn’t want to let him go and he felt the same way.  Kayden always loved his friend’s hugs.

The newborn vampire found that his eyes were suddenly flooding with tears.  He didn’t want a life like this.  He wanted to go back to how everything was.  Kayden just wanted to deal with normal trivial things again instead of the supernatural.  He didn’t want to be a /vampire/.  He held onto Regina for dear life, never wanting to let her go.

Rufioh then stood up, clearing his throat and causing Regina to take a step back.  It was then that Kayden knew something else was going to be said.  He grew nervous, hoping Rufioh wouldn’t admit that he and his family were witches- or wizards, whatever they were called.  Instead, what came next made him /wish/ they were witches or wizards.

“I know Regina just came clean to you, but it’s time for us to do the same.  We’re werewolves.  All of the Nitrams are.  Dad is the leader of the pack here and the next few towns over.  While werewolves and vampires don’t necessarily get along, we’re going to make an exception for you, because-“  Rufioh was suddenly cut off by Sage standing, crossing his arms behind his back.

“Because you’re family and you will be protected.”  The eldest Nitram said, giving Kayden the smallest of smiles, which the vampire hadn’t seen in years.

“Thank you.  All of you.”  Kayden whispered, smiling at each and every one of his friends and family.  He didn’t know where he’d be without them.

All of them returned Kayden’s smile, though briefly.  Sage nodded before taking his leave, telling Tavros and Rufioh to be home by their curfew or ‘face the consequences’.  While everyone laughed, Rufioh and Tavros knew how serious their father was, especially since they were in the company of vampires.

“So, Kayden, do you have any questions for us?  I’m sure you’re just bursting at the seams.”  Rufioh joked, resting his arms on the back of the couch while he kicked his legs up onto the table and relaxed.

The newborn vampire shrugged, looking down for a moment before thinking up something to ask, “Why do you hate vampires?”  He knew he could choose to go even more serious routes, such as ‘why didn’t you tell me?’ or something of that nature, but he decided not to, instead keeping things light and information-filled.  If Kayden were going to have to endure the supernatural world, he needed to know everything about it.

Rufioh and Tavros looked at one another briefly before Rufioh turned his attention back to Kayden and Tavros averted his gaze.  “That’s a long fucking story and I’m disappointed you didn’t ask what we ate or how soft our fur was, but whatever.  I think the Old Man would be better at explaining all this, but I’ll try my best.”  Rufioh paused for a moment, gathering himself before beginning to speak, “From what the Old Man said, this feud has been a thing since the first vampires and werewolves were created.  There’s one vampire- I’m thinking you’ve probably heard of her, if the vampires here are actually explaining anything- named Candace Peixes.  She’s a ruthless bitch and tried to gain control of everyone- both supernatural and otherwise- though everyone ended up rebelling.  Well, everyone except the vampires.  In the end, everyone went back to living ‘harmoniously’, though the werewolves have gained a resentment toward all vampires because of Candace.”  Rufioh shrugged, “I guess I don’t have a personal reason to hate the vampires.  I do it out of instinct and because it’s been drilled into my head since I was born and found out who I was.”

Kayden nodded, taking everything in.  He hoped he’d never have to meet Candace, as from what he’d heard, she was absolutely evil.

“But it’s okay, because we like you, Kayden.  We don’t hate you; we hate your smell because you smell like death, but it’s okay.  We smell like wet dog anyway.”  Tavros laughed, his face brightening.

The newborn vampire smiled in return, ecstatic Tavros was beginning to speak up.  He only hoped the moment wouldn’t be ruined, though at that moment, he didn’t think it could.  Kayden was with the people he loved and that was all he cared about.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that I'm uploading so much at once. It's NaNoWriMo, so I'm getting as much up as possible, however the updates will probably start slowing down when a) I get caught up in updating what I've got thus far and b) when the month of November ends. Until then, expect two to three updates a day!

Kayden Vantas had never had much luck with things going well in his life.  When he was born his mother abandoned him, when he was six his father died, when he was eighteen the man married young and then divorced after his wife not only cheated, but spread a rumor that he was gay- though it did turn out to be true.  And now he was a vampire and about to find out something else from Rosa.

Kayden, the Nitram siblings, and Regina had decided to sit around and laugh about old times whilst also talking more about the supernatural side of things.  It was all still very new to Kayden so he needed to know as much as possible.  Thus far he had learned all about Regina and her powers.  She was the most powerful of all the Pyropes and definitely the most practiced.  The woman had even performed a few spells for the Nitrams and Kayden.  Eventually the newborn vampire turned to his brothers and began asking them lighthearted questions, knowing that the more serious things needed to be saved for Sage.

“Okay, so exactly how soft is your fur?”  Kayden asked with a smirk.

“Do you want to find out?”  Rufioh responded, returning the smirk and standing.

Kayden practically jumped at the thought of seeing Rufioh turn into a werewolf.  Though as they all stood up and prepared to go outside, Rosa stepped into the room.  Everyone froze, though the three guests looked to Kayden as if silently asking who the woman was that had just stepped in.  It was quite obvious she was a vampire, though why she had decided to intrude was beyond all of them.

The newborn vampire noticed quickly that Rosa looked quite nervous.  He wondered if something happened and while he didn’t want to care, he knew he needed to.  Kayden was one of them now, he had to be in the know about things going on.

“I need to speak to Kayden- alone.  Only for a moment and then I will let him get back to the three of you.  And I do deeply apologize for dragging him away in the first place.”  Rosa said, finally breaking the silence that had grown in the room.

Regina, Rufioh, and Tavros nodded simultaneously before leaving the room.  A few moments later, Kayden heard the front door open and then close.  He turned and gave Rosa his full attention, raising his eyebrows as a sign that she could continue speaking.

“I heard your family and friends come clean about who they are, so I believe I should do the same.  When I tell you this, I want you to know that you can react in any way you like, however I do not want you to run away.  I would like you to face me and ask me anything, yell at me, curse at me.”  She sighed, clearing her throat, “I am your mother, Kayden.”

Kayden felt as if he were going to throw up.  His world started to spin, so he quickly sat down.  For years he had wondered who his mother was and where she had been.  And all this time she was- a vampire?  A million different emotions ran through him- anger, sadness, hatred, and confusion.

“W-why did you leave?”  Kayden asked, trying not to let any of his emotions break through, though he was quite unsuccessful. 

“I left simply because no one could know who you were.  It was much too dangerous.  Kayden, you were born from a vampire and a human.  You were what is considered a half-ling.  Not only that, have you ever taken into consideration how unnatural your eyes are?”

The newborn vampire nodded.  His jade green eyes had always been bright and ‘unnatural’ as it had been pointed out by many, though when his father was alive, he always said it was due to Kayden’s never-ending curiousity.

“Jade green eyes are a sign, Kayden.  You are fertile.  This means you can have vampire children of your own, which is rare due to the fact that no other vampire has this ability, except for me, of course.”  Rosa explained, causing Kayden’s eyes to widen.  So, not only was he a vampire, he was fertile.

“How is that possible?  I’m- I’m a guy.  A man.”  Kayden nearly stuttered, only surprise filling him at that point.

“You still have the sufficient reproductive organs inside you, though the child would have to be delivered by C-section.”  Rosa responded, sounding like it was all perfectly natural.  The vampire had seen many things in all her years, a male being pregnant was not news to her.  She wasn’t sure how to console the other, though she knew Kayden needed to know.  Was it quite a lot of information to take in in one day?  Yes, of course.  However, it was all vital to his survival.

“That isn’t natural at all.  I-I need a moment.  I have to get away from here.”  Kayden muttered, rubbing his temples for a moment before standing and practically running from the room.

As he walked, he ran head-on into Darian, nearly falling backward from the impact as well as the surprise whilst the other stumbled slightly.  Once Kayden had straightened himself up, he averted his gaze.  Seeing Darian was the last thing he wanted or needed, all the actually wanted was to go and see the others once again- the ones that actually cared.

“Are you okay, Kayden?”  Darian’s low, smooth voice rang out.  Kayden suddenly remembered why he had gotten involved with the vampire in the first place; he was rather hard to resist.

“Not really.  I just found out a lot and I’m kind of exhausted, so if you want to tell me something that I don’t know, do me a favor and hold off because I don’t want to hear that bullshit right now.”  The newborn growled, crossing his arms over his chest like a stubborn child.

“I was not going to reveal any huge secrets, in fact I simply wanted to ask if you and your friends would want to join me in helping you vent and let out your feelings as doing so is rather important, especially for newborn vampires.”  Darian responded, his grey eyes looking innocent.  Kayden wondered if that was really the case.  Though he was rather taken aback by Darian’s offer.

“Uhh, sure, I guess.  That sounds okay to me.”  Kayden responded, blinking a few times.  “Let me go get Regina, Rufioh, and Tavros.”  He then walked away, moving to the front door and walking outside, though he found that his friends were nowhere to be found.  The newborn vampire cocked an eyebrow and looked around for a moment before pulling his phone out of his pocket and noticing there was a message from Regina.

‘Hey Kayden, Sage wants us back at his place- says it’s urgent.  Be safe and tell us what that chick wanted!’  The message said.  Kayden wanted to groan inwardly at the fact that he’d now have to deal with talking to Darian alone, though he was sure it wouldn’t be as bad as talking to Rosa.  He didn’t want any new information; he just wanted to rant for hours.

Kayden put his phone back in his pocket before heading back inside.  He went to Darian’s second living area, finally happening upon him.  His heart sank slightly when he saw Rosa standing next to Darian.  The newborn vampire hoped more wouldn’t be said and he only hoped Darian and Rosa hadn’t talked prior to make arrangements if Kayden did end up walking out while his mother was explaining everything.

The newborn vampire stayed by the door, watching the two elder ones whisper among one another.  Surprisingly, the two were talking low enough so Kayden couldn’t hear them, which both irritated him and didn’t bother him at all.  Though he decided it would be best to not say anything at all and instead pick at his nails and stare at the floor.

He stood plastered to the same spot for five minutes before Darian cleared his throat and Kayden’s head shot up.

“I am very sorry to keep you waiting, Kayden.  Why don’t you sit down and make yourself comfortable?”  Darian asked, a sheepish smile coming forth to his lips.

The newborn vampire nodded before looking around at all the plush couches and chairs he saw.  Kayden wondered exactly how Darian had acquired all of it.  From his victims?  Did he steal them?  Had he actually gained a hefty wealth since becoming a vampire?  There was a part of him that didn’t want to know, in case it was horrible and something he didn’t want to think about.  He stayed quiet, choosing a plush white loveseat and sitting down, making himself fully comfortable before looking up at the other, wondering if Darian was going to bring up his conversation with Rosa.

“So, I do understand that you have gained a lot of information.  I also know it is quite hard to have to deal with said information all at once.  Would you like to vent a little?  I am here to listen and not judge.”  Darian said, sitting in an old, brown chair that seemed to be as old as the home was.  Did it come with the home?  How had Darian acquired it?  Kayden realized those questions weren’t important and instead focused on venting.

Venting was something Kayden wasn’t very practiced at.  He had learned to keep his feelings concealed and not care, though it was always hard and he still found himself breaking down at very inconvenient times.  He thought about what he was supposed to say, though it was all beginning to bubble inside of him and melt together, creating one big, sticky mess.  He wasn’t sure how to react, though he wanted to give one-thousand reactions.  Kayden tried not to let his emotions get the best of him, but there they were, scratching at his insides and begging to be let out.

The newborn vampire instead took a deep breath and found the words simply spilling out of his mouth.  They couldn’t be stopped and- at that moment- Kayden didn’t care to even try stopping them.

“I was just singing at a fucking cafe and you had to approach me.  You had to make me swoon and sigh which is why I agreed to go with you- biggest mistake of my life- and then you start talking to me about drinking my blood and then knocked me out.  After I woke up you were there and I freaked out and ran, but you didn’t come after me- at the time I didn’t care because I just wanted to be away from you, but now I’m wondering why you did just let me go and didn’t finish the job.  You could’ve drained me and none of this would be happening- I would just be dead.  That’s it.”  Kayden paused, though opened his mouth to continue before Darian held a hand up, clearly telling the newborn, without words, that he needed to stop talking for a moment.

“I could not drain you, Kayden.  I know your mother told you that you are a half-ling.  You had vampire blood running through you as well as human blood, though the human outweighed the vampire within at that time, I could still smell it clearly.  If I would have tried draining you, the vampire blood coursing through you would have killed me.”  He smiled softly, “I am very sorry for interrupting, however, I felt like that needed to be said.  You may continue.”

Kayden nodded, averting his eyes for a moment and re-gathering his thoughts.  This time he began treading carefully, as he didn’t want every single thing to spill out at once.  “I guess the other  biggest thing that’s bothering me is the fact that I’ve spent all this time thinking that I didn’t have a mother when she’s just been gone this entire time.  I know, she was trying to keep me safe and all that, but it doesn’t help right now.  Mothers are supposed to stick with their children through thick and thin; she didn’t even give me a chance.  She didn’t get to know me.  And now she’s back in my life like nothing happened?  If Dad were here, he’d be pissed.  He was angry when she left; he stopped going to church because of her.  He stopped finding enjoyment in life because of her.  When he died, I inherited everything and I would stay up and read his journals-“  The newborn cut himself off.  His dad spoke of vampires in his journals but Kayden always pegged them as small short fictional stories or metaphors for something.  He never thought they’d be real.  Had his dad known who Rosa was all along?  Did he know Kayden had vampire blood running through him?

Darian stayed quiet as Kayden thought to himself.  Had his entire life been a lie?  Regina was a witch, his adoptive family were werewolves, his mother was a vampire, he was born a half-ling.  What else was next?  What surprises awaited him if he continued living.  Kayden knew were he wanted to be, but knew he couldn’t go; Church.  He yearned to be in the safe walls once again, though knew he wouldn’t be able to.  He was a vampire now and the church would kill him if he stayed inside it for too long.  The newborn vampire wondered if Bibles had the same effect.  Even so, he at least wanted to pray, surely that wouldn’t cause any harm.

Before Kayden could begin, however, he froze.  If God were real, why would He let such creatures run amok in the world?  Why would He just sit idly by and let innocent people die by the hands of bloodthirsty creatures?  Was He actually real or was Kayden lead to believe even more false lies?  He shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts from his mind.  Of course God was real.

Darian picked up quickly on Kayden’s silence and decided to question him, “Are you okay?  Remember, you are supposed to be speaking your mind here.”  He offered up a small smile, his grey eyes soft.

Kayden looked up at the other.  Darian sat up straight, looking high and mighty, though the newborn wondered just how high and mighty he really was.  Surely there were things that could break him.  Surely there were things that got under his skin.  Everyone was like that; vampire or no.

“Do you believe in God?”  Kayden questioned, growing anxious in terms of hearing the answer.

The eldest vampire raised a brow and stared at the other for a moment before clearing his throat and shaking his head, “Not anymore.  I used to.  I would go to church every Sunday and pray every night.  Once I was turned, I started questioning Him and my faith.  I finally came to the conclusion that if He were real, He would have helped all those innocent people that I myself killed.  He would have struck me dead, but he didn’t.  If God were real, he would not be so careless.”

Kayden shook his head, expecting that answer from Darian, though it didn’t help in the slightest.  In fact, it only made his head spin even more.  Would he gain the same mindset in time?  Would God prove to fail him?  The newborn found that thinking about his faith wasn’t exactly the smartest thing to do at the moment.  Instead, he tried changing the subject and focusing on something else.  Surely he’d want to rant about something- anything else.  However, he couldn’t think of a single thing.  Instead, he chose to question Darian.

“How were you turned?”  He asked, crossing his arms over his chest and sinking slightly in his seat.

Darian’s eyebrows raised as he took on a surprised expression.  Obviously he wasn’t expecting Kayden to turn the questions onto him and let him rant.  Though, it was welcome and it seemed like the newborn was most definitely warming up to him- at least a small amount.  However that was good enough for Darian.

“It was around 400 years ago.  I suppose you could say I put my trust into the wrong people.  My family was slaughtered, I was bitten and then left alone.  The vampire that turned me did not care about teaching them how to survive or how to function as a vampire; instead, she bit and then moved on.  I destroyed many towns before Rosa finally found me.  I begged her to kill me, for I hated myself due to all the innocent people I had killed and drained.  Though she showed me mercy and instead taught me how to function and how to go about things the right way.  Not all vampires are bad, Kayden.”  Darian responded, wanting to drill it into the newborn’s head that not all vampires were monsters.  Many had been turned against their will and didn’t have a choice in anything.  It didn’t make them monsters, it made those that turned them monsters.

Darian had already considered himself a monster for a long time, though with the realization that he had carelessly turned Kayden and then let him run off was the breaking point.  Darian Ampora was a monster and would never go back.  He only hoped Kayden wouldn’t turn out to be the same way.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Kayden’s eyes opened. He yawned and looked around, not remembering where he was for a moment. It was then that it dawned on him; Darian’s. The newborn wasn’t sure when it was that he fell asleep, but he felt rejuvenated. He sat up, stretching before swinging his legs over the side of the plush loveseat he had been sitting on whilst talking to Darian.

Only a single lamp provided light within in the room. He noticed Darian was gone and an eerie silence had fallen. The vampire shivered and moved from the room, crossing his arms over his chest and peeking around corners before he actually walked. Instead of focusing on much else, he decided to explore Darian’s quite large domain.

Kayden walked past the second living area, already knowing what it contained. Instead, he entered an open area- the kitchen. Everything was stainless steal or garnet... and absolutely spotless. It almost looked as if it was brand new out of a catalogue, though maintained throughout the years. The newborn wondered if vampires could eat human food and after looking around for any signs of either vampires he was staying with, he tip-toed to the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. Opening the door, he was disheartened when he noticed there was absolutely nothing there. It was empty, though still running. It didn’t make sense to the newborn vampire, but he decided not to question it.

He then went to the cabinets, opening them and checking to see if there was any food, though he found nothing- just like the refrigerator. Sighing softly, Kayden decided he didn’t need food anyway and instead went to the next room- the dining hall. It was a large, open space with a long table and twelve wooden chairs set up. It looked like it hadn’t been used in quite a long time, as cobwebs and dust had settled on everything. The vampire simply turned back and went another way, hoping he wouldn’t get lost in the large home.

The vampire then came across a door. He arched a brow and opened it slowly, reaching blindly in the darkness for a light switch and finally finding one, only to reveal a bathroom. He flipped the light switch down before closing the door and going to the room on his right. The door was closed- just as the bathroom’s was- though he still opening it, finding the switch quickly and flipping it upward to reveal a bedroom. It was covered in a thin layer of dust, just as the dining hall had been. Obviously Darian hadn’t had many guests over.

He found that all along the first floor were guest bedrooms, and they were all dusty save for one, which Kayden assumed was the one Rosa was staying in. The room had been dusted and cleaned rather thoroughly. Darian could have opened up a hotel if he so desired, as the place was large enough for it and Rosa could’ve been the maid of sorts, though he didn’t think vampires would want to do something so dull as run a hotel; then again, it would be rather easy to get their food. Kayden shivered at the thought and moved on quickly, trying to find something new- something exciting.

Eventually, the newborn vampire came across a set of stairs. They were grand and what looked to be marble. Kayden tried to stop his mouth from gaping at the sight of them, but found it was near impossible to do so. He ran his hand up the handrail as he ascended the stairs, coming across two landings before he reached the second floor. He wondered why Darian needed a place so large and extravagant, especially if he never had guests over, though he assumed it was due to the fact that he was born 400 years ago, though, in Kayden’s mind, he was curious as to why Darian didn’t change along with the timeframes after he was reborn. He decided to make a mental note and ask the vampire just that.

Kayden meandered around the second floor for about five minutes before he finally decided on a random room he wanted to check. He opened the door and found that a light was already on, slightly blinding him. He hissed softly, shielding his eyes and slowly getting used to the light before lowering his hands and jumping at the sight of Darian sitting at a desk, an eyebrow raised in the newborn vampire’s direction.

Kayden gulped, “Uh, sorry. I just wanted to have a look through your place since it’s so big. I kind of fell asleep without actually realizing it, so...”

Darian chuckled, shaking his head. “It is quite alright. You are more than welcome to come in, I am just working on a few things.”

The vampire nodded, walking in and moving over to a rather comfy looking brown sofa that sat on the opposite end of the room. He sat down, making himself comfortable before looking over at Darian. He wondered what the other was working on, though didn’t think it would be polite to ask.

“How long was I asleep?” Kayden hadn’t actually thought about checking the time on his own phone, however he couldn’t even remember what time he fell asleep, so he didn’t think it mattered much.

“Around ten hours. I do not blame you, however. You had taken in quite a bit of information, plus you looked rather lost in thought when you passed out. I decided to leave you be.” Darian responded, not looking up from his work.

The vampire nodded, scratching the back of his neck. The room went into an uncomfortable silence, which didn’t float well with Kayden, so he decided to speak up again. “I apologize for bothering you while you work-again-, but I was curious about something.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Earlier I got to thinking- you’re around 400 and I understand that you’d want to keep with the times that you were human, but why don’t you ever change with the times? You talk, dress, and act as if it’s still 400 years ago.” Kayden responded.

Darian smiled, finally looking up from his work. “I was wondering when someone would comment on that. No one has said a single thing about it, but I have been called a variety of colorful names.” He paused, still smiling fondly, “I will let you on my little secret though. It is simply to keep up appearances. I have to act this way so other vampires will take me seriously- and they do. Well, everyone except for Rosa. However, if you did not notice, Rosa does it too.”

Kayden had noticed, though he just pegged it as the fact that Rosa was one of the original vampires. He nodded at Darian’s answer, not sure what to say. Though his response did cause many more questions to arise. The main one was what exactly did the other vampire do? What was his occupation? The three original vampires were females and one of them was the ruler, so that wasn’t it. He found himself curious enough to ask.

“What do you do for a living then? I was thinking you could turn this place into a hotel, but that sounds like a really dull life to maintain for an eternity, so what is it that you do?”

Once again, the other vampire smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. He admired how curious Kayden was. “I suppose you could call me an archduke. I take care of rather important matters, though not /too/ important if that makes sense.” Talking about his duties made him feel rather sheepish, as he was in a high position of power, but not overly so. In fact, his job seemed like nothing in terms of what Candace and her first-in-command, Grant Makara did.

The newborn vampire nodded, though still wanted to know what it was Darian took care of. However, he came to the conclusion that if Darian hadn’t already specified, he probably didn’t want to talk about it. After all, he had seemed rather off-put by the question. He kept quiet instead, focusing on the rug that lay on the floor of the room. It was a chocolaty brown and quite fuzzy. He got lost in the different patterns and almost didn’t realize that Darian had started speaking to him again.

“I thought you ought to know that Rosa left when you fell asleep. She felt that you did not want her here at the moment due to you still being a newborn vampire and probably not being able to handle it at the moment. She will return in about a year.” He stated, going back to his work as he spoke.

Kayden nodded, though couldn’t help but feel bad. Had he pushed his mother away again? For once he just wanted to do something right, though he didn’t bring that thought to light in front of Darian; instead, he stayed quiet for a moment. He had to think of a way to get all thoughts away from his mother and the fact that he would probably never see her again, or at least, not for quite a long time. It dawned on Kayden that he and Darian would be spending quite a lot of time together; they needed to get to know one another.

The newborn vampire cleared his throat, sitting back and trying to relax. “So, Darian, tell me about yourself.”

The vampire froze in the midst of writing something, his eyes widening. Of course, he had expected Kayden to relax and feel almost comfortable around him at some point, but that quickly? Darian thought it to be a joke at first, though when he looked at Kayden, he didn’t see a single trace of sarcasm or sick humor. It was all genuine, which was something the vampire wasn’t used to.

“What would you like to know?” He asked, trying not to let his voice waver at the emotion he felt toward the other.

“Anything, I guess. Or maybe we could start over; I have changed quite a bit since we first met.” Kayden noticed Darian flinch when he said what he did and once again felt bad, though for a completely different reason. He hadn’t met to make a jab at the other, just a simple joke. “I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sorry. I just met that- well- I /have/ changed, so I’m not lying.” He stood up and walked over to Darian, holding out his hand, “My name is Kayden Vantas.”

Darian chuckled softly and took Kayden’s hand in his own, shaking it firmly before dropping it. “It is- ahem- it’s a pleasure to meet you Kayden Vantas. My name is Darian Ampora.” He was beginning to feel quite comfortable around the other, which helped him to drop his ‘proper’ act and start using modern wording and terminology.

“A pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Ampora.” Kayden couldn’t help but to grin. At that moment, he wasn’t with the cruel, evil vampire that had turned him, he was with someone he could call a friend.


	12. Chapter Twelve

After a few weeks of talking constantly, Darian and Kayden were able to find solace within one another’s company.  They had learned a great deal about one another and while there was a lot left to learn, they felt like they had known one another for decades.  The eldest vampire had to admit that his chest was beginning to grow warm at the sight of the other every day.  He knew what it meant, but didn’t want to act upon it... not yet anyway.

Darian Ampora was beginning to have feelings for Kayden Vantas.  He wasn’t sure what this entailed, as he hadn’t had a relationship in many years, though he did realize that the other would probably never return the feelings.  Darian had even made a point to not explain Soul Bonds until Kayden said he had felt one first.

Soul Bonds were similar to that of soul mates, though it meant a great deal more than that.  It started with a warm feeling in one’s chest that pointed to the one they were slowly falling for.  After that it grew more intense and, if the Soul Bond is returned, there was a connection between the two.  They would have the ability to read one another’s minds from great distances or always know where the other was, so long as they were connected through the Bond.  However, breaking the bond was another story entirely.  It was a fast, but painful party for the one on the receiving end of a broken Soul Bond.  Darian always wanted to shudder at the thought.  Though he’d never had a breakup of that magnitude, he never wanted to deal with it.

With the thought of a Soul Bond in mind, Darian let himself grow even closer to Kayden, though didn’t speak a word of it.  However, he did grow irritated toward the newborn simply because of the fact that every time it was time to feed, Kayden refused.  Darian usually had to coax him into it- with quite a lot of difficulty- though in the end, it usually worked.  The elder vampire still had to go out and kill Kayden’s food for him in order for him to actually eat.  Darian knew that had to change and he had one vampire in mind that could change Kayden’s ways.

“Kayden, I’d like to introduce you to someone.  Have you been to the club downtown?”  Darian asked, walking into the kitchen where Kayden sat on the counter, swinging his legs back and forth as he read the label on the back of a box of Macaroni and Cheese.  Darian wasn’t sure how Kayden was still able to stomach human food, but he didn’t complain.

The newborn vampire shook his head, not taking his eyes away from the box.

“Well, would you like to go?  I really do think you should meet this person.”  Darian said, leaning on the counter next to the other.

“Who?”  Kayden asked, still reading the back of the box.

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

“I want to know now.”  The newborn responded, finally taking his gaze away from the words on the box and looking at Darian.  A hint of a smile was playing at the corners of his mouth, which immediately told the elder vampire that Kayden was simply playing around.

“Will you go or not?”  Darian asked, raising his thick brows toward the other.

“Yeah, I’ll go.  But I better have a good time or I swear to God...”  Kayden growled playfully, winking at the other before hopping off the counter and moving to a cabinet.  He grabbed at pot and laughed when Darian scoffed at him.  “What?  Did you really think I’d go without eating?”

“I can buy you food at the bar, Kayden.”  Darian responded.

“Nah, I’d rather make my own food.  You can take the time to get ready.”

“What about you; won’t you need to get ready?”  The elder asked.

“Nope!  I think I look okay as is.”  Kayden said, looking down at his clothing.  He wore a pair of black jeans and a red and black flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up.  His black hair was messy, but still decent.  Darian had to agree that the other did look okay- actually more than okay, he looked amazing, even dressed normally.  He began to wonder what it would take to get Kayden to dress in a suit.  It would surely be a sight.

Darian nodded, a soft smile brightening his features slightly, “Fine, you eat and I’ll get ready.”  He said, before walking off.

^^^

After around an hour, Kayden had finished eating and cleaned up after himself whereas Darian had come downstairs fresh and dazzling.  The newborn vampire couldn’t deny that Darian was quite the looker, though he wasn’t sure what his feelings were in terms of the elder vampire.  He had began to feel a warmth in his chest that he’d never felt before, though didn’t think it was serious enough to ask.  However, he had made a mental note to bring it up to the other if it end up becoming painful.

“Are you ready?”  The elder vampire asked.  He wore an all black suit that had obviously been fitted, his black hair was slicked back neatly, facial hair trimmed rather nicely, and to top everything off, he wore a red silk tie.  Kayden wasn’t sure if Darian remembered that his favorite color was red or not, but he liked it anyhow.

The younger nodded and chuckled when Darian held out an arm for him to take.

“You’re kidding right?”  He asked, looking at the vampire’s arm before his gazed moved up to his face, stare incredulous.

“What?  Keep in mind that you and I are from /very/ different times.  This is the proper way to take a date out.”  Darian smiled.

Kayden’s face paled.  Date?  Did he actually think this was a date?  He suddenly felt awkward and unready for everything.  Was he not dressed properly?  What if he messed up or said the wrong thing?  Hell, Kayden wasn’t even sure how to feel about Darian!  Though he tried not to show his emotions, Darian picked up on them rather quickly, shaking his head as his eyes widened.

“No, I don’t mean a date- like romance or anything of the sort- I simply mean we are going somewhere together for a nice time.”  He quickly saved, though felt his heart break slightly.  Did that mean Kayden didn’t feel anything for him?

The younger nodded, relieved.  As Darian began to walk away, Kayden caught up with him quickly, linking his arm through Darian’s.  The elder became surprised, though wasn’t about to complain.  Any physical contact was enough to mend his heart and bring it back to the way it was before.  The warmth began growing, reaching out desperately toward Kayden.

^^^

The car ride to the club was quiet.  Kayden stared out the window, as he remembered his last time in a moving vehicle with Darian hadn’t ended well for either of them.  Though things were made better when the elder turned on the radio, playing Imagine Dragons as they sat in silence.  The younger felt an urge to sing along, as it felt like it had been an eternity since he’d done so, though breaking the silence was something he didn’t want to do at that moment.

As if reading his mind, Darian suddenly spoke up.  “Do you know this song?”

Kayden nodded, offering a small smile toward the other.

“You’re more than welcome to sing.  I do enjoy your voice; I wasn’t lying to you when we first met, you know.”  He responded, returning the smile before turning his eyes back to the road.

The younger nodded, clearing his throat softly before beginning to sing...

“ _In youth, you’d lay, awake at night and scheme..._ ”

Darian focused on the other’s voice, beginning to lose himself.  There was a certain rawness Kayden had, but it was something that made his heart pump and palms sweaty.  He just couldn’t place what it was.

“ _Of all the things that you would change; but it was just a dream..._ ”

Everything about Kayden was beginning to draw Darian in further and further.  He simply didn’t know why or how it had happened, though he was learning to accept it.  He wished the other would never stop singing.

“ _Here we are, don’t turn away now!  We are the warriors that built this town.  Here we are, don’t turn away now.  We are the warriors that built this town from dust._ ”

Once the elder had lost himself in the other’s voice, he realized that he had passed the club by accident.  His face flushed, though he was thankful the car was dark.  He turned and went around the block, pulling in front of the club.  As much as he wanted to let himself keep getting lost in Kayden’s voice, he stopped the car, shutting off the music with it.  Kayden continued singing for a moment before realizing the music had stopped.  His own face became dusted with a bright red flush as he looked away.

“You’re a wonderful singer, Kayden.”  Darian commented, seriously.

“Thanks.”  He responded, a smile pulling up the corners of his lips.  Kayden never got complimented often, so it meant a great deal to him when someone actually said something about his voice, as it was what he was most proud of.

“Now, come on, I really want you to meet this friend of mine.”  Darian said, unbuckling his seat belt and climbing out of the car.  Kayden followed quickly, sticking close to the other as they walked into the club.

As Kayden stepped inside, the strong smell of alcohol and sweat filled his nose, almost making him gag.  However, the music quickly distracted him; loud bass thumped, vibrating the floors as well as his chest.  He could almost feel every ounce of love and work put into the music.  The newborn vampire found himself grinning, simply wanting to dance and never stop.  He wondered why he’d never actually visited the club before, though quickly pegged it on the fact that his pastor always called it ‘The House of Sin’, so he was always sure to avoid it.

“This way,” Darian shouted, trying to be heard over the sound of the music.  He tapped Kayden’s shoulder simply to make sure.

The younger turned quickly and began following him up to the stage, where the music got even louder due to the speakers blaring music.  Still, though he knew his ears would probably be ringing later on, he loved it.

The elder of the two climbed onto the stage, turning around and holding out his hand for Kayden, though the other had already began climbing as well, laughing as he reached for Darian’s hand.  He absolutely loved how Kayden was opening up.  It was refreshing to see.  Darian leaned in toward the side of the other’s head, talking loudly.

“Wait here for a moment.”  He said, before pulling away, smiling and walking to the DJ’s area.

Kayden’s mouth opened slightly as Darian began talking to the man standing there, wearing a pair of headphones around his neck as he nodded his head to the beat, scratching records as needed.  He wore a pair of pointed sunglasses and had blonde hair to match.  When the man heard what it was Darian had to say, his head turned toward Kayden’s direction, giving him a pretty good indication that he was looking over.

The newborn vampire didn’t know what to do.  What if the man started talking to him?  Why did Darian want to introduce them?  What if he was disgusted with Kayden?  He wanted to run away, but stayed plastered to where he was as if he were frozen.  The music began to dull in his ears, especially when Darian and the blonde man began walking toward him.

“Kayden, I’d like you to meet someone,”  Darian started.  Kayden noticed the elder vampire wasn’t being formal like usual, so he was curious to know if the other man was unimportant.  With a feeling of dread, Kayden only hoped Darian wasn’t trying to get him to finally kill something.  He wouldn’t be able to do it.  “This is Dirk Strider.”

Dirk nodded his head once, resting his hands on his hips and tilting his head slightly, “I know the lighting isn’t the best in here, but goddamn Darian, ya got yourself a looker.”

Kayden’s face flushed while Darian side-eyed Dirk, wanting to growl, however Kayden wasn’t his, so he couldn’t show dominance- unless...  It dawned on Darian that /he/ had been the one to turn Kayden, which meant- in the grand scheme of things- that Kayden was his.  However, the elder vampire didn’t think he was going to do anything about it.  He simply didn’t have it in him.

“Yes, he is quite attractive.  Anyway, Dirk, this is Kayden Vantas, a newborn.”  Darian said, once he got over the initial shock of Dirk’s comment.  He knew Dirk was flirtatious, but not overly so.

“Nice to meet you, Dirk.”  Kayden responded loudly, his face still flushed red.  The newborn vampire couldn’t get over how absolutely attractive Dirk was.  He wore a black tank-top which showed off the sleeve of tattoos he had on his left arm.  Most of them were goofy looking in the dim light, though surely Dirk had had a reason for getting them.  He wore tight blue skinny jeans with rips in the knees, a studded belt holding the jeans up.

“Yeah, it’s a fuckin’ pleasure to meet you too.”  Dirk looked around for a moment, “You guys wanna go somewhere quiet?”  He asked.

Darian and Kayden nodded at Dirk who gestured and walked away from the crowd and loud music, moving a curtain back slightly to go backstage.  As soon as the curtain closed behind Dirk everything got quiet, as if the noise was suddenly cut off completely.  For a moment, the newborn vampire thought he had gone deaf until he heard Dirk clear his throat.

“So, what are ya here for, Ampora?”  He asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall.  Kayden noticed that the man had a clear Texan drawl to his voice.

“I’ve been trying to get through to Kayden here, but nothing seems to work.  He needs to start working out his own kills.  Maybe you could help him?”  Darian responded, not making any demands, for if he had Dirk would have surely punched him and walked away.

Dirk nodded once at Darian before turning to the other, “Why don’t ya kill?”

Kayden stuttered for a moment before clearing his throat, “It isn’t right.”

“Well, kid, just so ya know, in the world now, it’s kill or be killed, so ya might wanna start drinking from people.  If ya don’t, well, have fun getting a stake through your heart.”  Dirk shrugged.

Darian growled lowly, “There’s no need to scare the boy.”

“I ain’t trying to scare him, I’m only speaking the truth.  You know how it is, Ampora.  You’ve been around long enough.”  Dirk retorted before turning back to Kayden, “You have to learn how to kill in order to get food and remain strong, man.  This world is no longer sunshine and daises, it’s cruel and full of death.  If you aren’t strong enough, you /will/ die and it’ll be really fucking painful.  Trust me, all vampires never want to kill when they’re first turned, I didn’t and I’m sure Dairan didn’t either.”

Kayden nodded, getting more and more of a grasp on why he needed to kill, though not really wanting to go through with it still.  However, he knew that it’d have to be done sooner or later.  He couldn’t always rely on Darian, nor could he simply not eat.  The thought of being killed didn’t sound too pleasant to him either.  He sighed, deciding fully that he would do it.

“Okay, okay, fine.  I understand I need to do it, but how do you want this to happen?  I can’t do it on my own.”  The newborn vampire muttered, looking at the other two.

Darian felt a pang from within.  He knew Dirk would at least be able to help, but fully convince Kayden?  The warmth in his chest grew ever stronger, but it was within that moment, he knew- Kayden would never return the feelings.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Kayden took a deep breath- in through his nose and out through his mouth. Or was it the other way around? He found that he couldn’t remember. He couldn’t remember anything. All he knew was that he was about to kill someone and drain their blood. How could he do a thing like that? He followed Dirk and Darian back to the main stage, though he could no longer see people dancing and he couldn’t hear the pulsing beats of the music. Instead, all he heard was silence and all he saw were dead bodies- all drained of their blood.

He shook his head, trying to clear that thought from his mind. The newborn vampire still couldn’t believe what he was about to do. What would God think? Though, was He even real? Kayden froze for a few seconds, he couldn’t believe he would even /think/ that question. What had gotten into him? He sent up a quick apology before turning his focus to the task at hand. Dirk and Darian had stopped walking and were whispering to one another softly. Dirk pointed at a few people dancing in the crowd, though Kayden couldn’t tell exactly /who/ he had pointed to.

Darian nodded and walked back toward Kayden, “Okay, Kayden. All you need to do is get someone to come out to the alley with you. Once you make sure the coast is clear, you cover their mouth and bite, /or/ to keep them from suffering, simply snap their neck and then drink. Just make sure you aren’t seen- though if you are, give your cop friend- Regina- a call. I’m sure she’d clear your name for you.”

Kayden nodded in response, trying to keep his emotions under control. He only hoped he wouldn’t disappoint Darian and Dirk, though everything was leaning toward that notion, which is something that bothered him greatly, though he tried not to let on about it.

“Now, there are three criminals here tonight.” Darian pointed to a man wearing khakis and a wife beater. He looked to be in his late-twenties and had the douchiest haircut Kayden had ever seen. “He murdered his girlfriend a few days ago, though the body hasn’t even been found.”

Kayden’s eyebrows furrowed, “Wait, how do you know that?”

“Dirk told me. He knows almost everything about everyone in this town.” Darian answered, sounding slightly irritated that Kayden interrupted.

“Why didn’t he turn it into the authorities?” He asked, his own voice becoming rather incredulous.

“Why don’t you ask him that yourself when you come back in? Now, there is another,” Darian pointed to another man that had long black hair pulled back into a ponytail that trailed down his back. He had an innocent enough face, but Kayden could simply tell that he was bad news. “He’s a child predator.”

The Vantas nodded, unsure why Darian was telling him information about the people, unless it was to help Kayden get over the fact that he was killing someone and rather focus on the fact that they were people that had done horrible things and needed to die.

“And the last one is over there,” he pointed to a woman in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Her thick black hair bounced as she jumped to the music; she wore a bright smile on her face. “She murdered her husband last night due to him cheating.”

Kayden suddenly felt something light up within him and he knew automatically that he wouldn’t go for her. Though he knew what she had gone through, he wouldn’t have murdered his ex-wife, but knew why someone would go to such great lengths. Instead, he focused on the two other criminals.

“Take your pick, Kayden.” Darian said, standing up straight and linking his hands together behind his back.

Kayden eventually pointed to the child molester, suddenly feeling nervous once again. How would this work out? What if he got himself killed in the process? What if someone caught him and he ended up dead anyway for revealing the fact that vampires truly were real? He didn’t want to do it, but knew he couldn’t back out now.

Darian nodded in response to Kayden, figuring he’d pick the child molester. He himself was even nervous about Kayden going off on his own to hunt, but he knew it needed to be done. Kayden had to learn to fend for himself.

“Alright, so what you need to do is lure him out into the alleyway. I’m sure that’ll be a simple enough task for you. You need to woo him or lie about a problem with your vehicle. It doesn’t matter what you go with so long as he comes out with you. Once you’re out in the alleyway, you need to /make sure/ you look around to see if anyone is there. If not, kill him and then drain his blood. If you aren’t back in within ten minutes, we’ll come out after you. Be sure to clean your mouth off, as well. The blood can be rather messy, as you know.” The elder vampire explained to Kayden who nodded in return.

Dirk walked over, crossing his arms over his chest, “When you’re talking to him, don’t sound nervous or scared; these guys are fucking lunatics and will try to take advantage of you if they can. If they see you as weak, you’re toast.”

Kayden nodded once again, sticking his hands in his pockets. He was growing more and more nervous by the second and Dirk’s words didn’t help him one bit. How would someone take advantage of him? Would they kill him? That was impossible unless they knew he was a vampire. Would they do something sexual toward him? Even if they did, Kayden had the ability to fight back. He was a new vampire, which meant he was stronger. Keeping the fact that he was stronger than humans in mind, he knew that nothing bad would happen to him.

“Are you ready?” Darian asked, resting a hand on Kayden’s shoulder in support.

The newborn vampire nodded for the third time, though still didn’t speak. He found himself incapable of doing so in front of Darian and Dirk, though he hoped it wouldn’t be the same way in front of the man he had to kill. Kayden turned away and set his sights on his victim; taking a deep breath, he stepped away from the other vampires and walked toward the man, who was drinking a beer and talking to a few of his friends. He had a bright smile on his face and he looked completely innocent. The newborn vampire tried to shake that thought from his mind; the man was bad. Horrible. Kayden couldn’t trust him or let him play innocent.

Kayden cleared his throat when he got close enough to the man, “Excuse me.”

The man turned around, looking confused for a moment before flashing a bright smile, “Oh hey there. What can I do for ya?”

“My car broke down and you seem like the kind of man that would be able to help me out with it.” Kayden responded, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice. Unfortunately, the man picked up on it rather quickly.

“Oh, ya need help? I can do that. Care to show me where it is?” The man asked, setting his beer down and standing.

Kayden nodded and gestured toward the side door, leading out of the building. The two walked around the dance floor and the vampire tried not to look at Darian and Dirk as he walked, not wanting to blow everything by looking over at them. Instead, he kept his eyes straight ahead, working out in his head how he was going to do everything.

The two exited the building, and Kayden looked around, making sure no one was around. However, just as he was about to turn toward the man, he found himself pushed against the wall. He gasped as the man pressed against him, a sick grin on his face.

“The vampires in this town are so fuckin’ stupid. All you have to do is mask your scent and nobody knows who you are. Dirk has always been an idiot, but I didn’t think he was /that/ big of one.” The man chuckled, applying a harsh pressure on Kayden’s chest that made him whine softly in pain. Was this man actually a vampire? Had he actually fooled Darian and Dirk? If Kayden’s heart actually had a beat, it would’ve been going into overdrive.

“Do you know what’s done to new vampires that come onto /our/ territory? Let me fuckin’ tell you: they’re killed. However, you’re a pretty one, so tell ya what, I’m going to fuck you and /then/ I’ll kill you. Surely that’s a good way to die.” The man whispered, raising his other hand to brush Kayden’s hair out of his face.

The newborn vampire’s eyes widened as his breath picked up. Fear gripped at him; he wanted to scream or run, but couldn’t. Even if the vampire did let him go, he wouldn’t be able to run. He was frozen with fear.

“Please- don’t.” Kayden whispered softly, surprised he was able to actually say anything.

“Shut the fuck up and get on your knees, bitch.” The vampire growled, the smirk that had been playing on his lips faltering.

Kayden wasn’t sure what came over him, all he knew was one second he was resisting and the next, he was doing as he was told. It was almost as if a spell had been placed on him. As he sunk to his knees, he looked up at the other, trying not to look at the man’s crotch that was now displayed in front of him.

“Unzip my pants,” he growled, resting his hands on his hips.

The newborn vampire’s breath caught in his throat. He didn’t want to do this, so why were his hands moving upward anyway? Why was he unzipping this vampire’s pants?

Suddenly, the side door burst open and out came Darian and Dirk. Kayden noticed something shining in Dirk’s hand, but the vampire was moving so quickly, he didn’t get a good look at it, however they Texan’s voice rang out.

“Watch out, Kayden!” He growled before taking the shining thing and beheading the vampire that stood between him and the newborn. Kayden gasped as he was splattered with blood and the body- along with the head- dropped to the ground. He looked up and finally saw what exactly it was Dirk was carrying- a katana. It was long and quite obviously deadly.

“Kayden! Are you okay? I am so sorry, we didn’t know he was actually a vampire until he walked by and even then we were confused.” Darian exclaimed, moving forward and looking Kayden over, “Why didn’t you stop him?” He asked, before freezing, his own eyes widening as he looked up at Dirk.

The blonde was wearing solemn expression, “You’re submissive.”

“What?” Kayden asked, finally finding his voice as Darian began wiping the blood off his face and arms.

“You will submit to anyone, even if you don’t want to do it. You’re submissive. You didn’t want to do what he asked, did you?” Dirk asked, already knowing the situation all too well.

The newborn vampire shook his head, looking away. “I wanted to stop, but my body wouldn’t let me.”

Dirk nodded, “Yup, you’re submissive and there’s only one way to drag you out of it: you have to be trained.”


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Kayden wasn’t sure what training entailed, but he grew more and more nervous at the simple thought of being trained. He didn’t know how to react as he sat on the couch in Darian’s study while he and Dirk stayed downstairs to talk. He couldn’t deny the fact that he was scared. Though Dirk’s eyes had been shaded by his sunglasses, Kayden had an inkling that the look that was being given to him was one of pity. He wasn’t sure what to do or how to handle it and waiting around wasn’t helping the situation either.

Eventually Darian and Dirk came upstairs, both looking quite solemn but knowing that what they had planned needed to happen. They had to push Kayden’s boundaries in the worst way possible- by making him do things he didn’t want to; by making him do the most terrible things that could come to their minds. The vampires had to figure out exactly what it was that really got to Kayden and how to overcome it. Darian didn’t feel comfortable with it, but he knew that something needed to be done about his submissiveness for if there wasn’t anything that helped him to overcome it, he would be killed. The vampire world had no use for weak vampires.

“We’re sorry to have kept you waiting, Kayden.” Darian said, walking over to his desk and sitting down in the chair. He tried to make himself comfortable, but found he couldn’t. How could he get comfortable when Kayden was about to be pushed so roughly? What would the newborn vampire think of them after it was all over?

Kayden simply nodded, not wanting to speak and say anything, but rather he wanted to wait in silence to see what was going to be said.

“We’ve come up with something that you need to do- or rather, tasks that you need to complete so we can judge fully on just how submissive you are.” Darian continued, resting his elbows on the desk and staring at the other.

“Some of them will be easy to do and not listen to us, while others will not be easy. We’ll be using different methods with you and when all of that’s done, we’re going to get to the really dirty shit- which is actually training you to not be submissive and actually stand up and say that you aren’t going to do something- not only that, but you need to learn how to fight, which is something the old fart over here hasn’t taught you.” Dirk said, shooting a look at Darian who glared in return.

Meanwhile, Kayden’s heart sank. How in the hell was he supposed to pass? He didn’t even know everything there was to know; he didn’t know /why/ he was submissive either. All the things he was hearing made his stomach churn and he felt sick.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Kayden groaned, beginning to stand up. However, Dirk quickly cut him off, standing in front of him and smirking.

“Sit your ass back down. You’re not going anywhere,” he growled, causing Kayden to sit back down almost immediately, his eyes wide and full of fear. He wanted to say no, but found he couldn’t. It was like he was back in the alleyway.

Dirk stood straighter, though behind his glasses he wore a look of concern. What was going to happen? What if all of this resulted in Kayden realizing he simply couldn’t break his submissive behavior? He looked back at Darian for a moment whereas the man only stared at Kayden, not sure what he was going to do next. The fact that he would have to put him through such horrible tests didn’t sit well with him.

Darian stood, walking up next to Dirk and sighing. They needed to figure out what Kayden’s worst triggers were and use them against him. It was vital that he learned to say no and stand up for himself.

“What are a few of your hard-nos?” Darian asked softly, kneeling in front of the other and cocking a brow at him.

“Um, my past- anything about my past, sex, violence, disrespecting the Lord, and anything that goes against my morals.” The moment everything left his mouth, he regretted it as the vampires in front of him shared looks. They didn’t smirk or show any sign of enjoyment in what they were about to do, however it was obvious that things were going to get very bad very quickly.

“Kayden, you have to understand that we’re doing this because if we don’t you _will_ die,” Dirk said, crossing his arms over his chest.

The newborn nodded, taking a deep breath. Of course he understood, he just didn’t like it. He didn’t want this, but knew it’d have to happen if he wanted to live. “Yes, I understand and accept it.”

“Good.” Once more the vampires shared looks before Dirk stepped closer, kneeling in front of Kayden. “So, tell me about your marriage.”

“Wha- how did you know about that?” Kayden asked, his Jade eyes widening drastically as he looked from Darian to Dirk. He couldn’t recall saying anything about his past marriage and wondered how much Dirk knew.

“I’m the one asking questions here. Now answer,” Dirk growled. Darian wanted to hiss at the other vampire and protect Kayden, but he couldn’t. It was vital that he stayed put and let Dirk do what he needed to, however he couldn’t ignore the pang he felt when he saw the newborn flinch.

“I was married for eight months and then we divorced, okay?” The newborn growled.

“Why did you divorce? What happened?” Dirk asked, purposely trying to rip Kayden apart with the past; the exact thing he didn’t want.

Kayden stayed quiet for a moment as if he wanted to lash out, though instead he said in a small voice, “I don’t have to explain a single thing to you.”

Dirk punched the wall hard behind him, leaving a dent, “Fucking tell me, damnit!”

The newborn flinched before opening his mouth, “She cheated! She cheated and then told everyone I was gay!”

Darian looked away, not able to handle the look of shame that came up on Kayden’s face. Dirk stood up straight, crossing his arms over his chest. While he didn’t like doing it, he had to be forceful with the other. He had to bring down the law, which was the exact opposite of what Darian was doing. It was quite obvious the eldest vampire had a crush on the newborn, though Dirk knew it wasn’t the time nor place to bring something like that up.

“You failed, Kayden. You need to learn how to say no no matter how much I try to pressure you. Imagine you got captured by a coven of vampires and they started asking where all of your loved ones resided? What then? Would you just tell them?” Dirk growled, pushing his glasses up further onto his nose as he turned away.

Kayden thought about that, hoping things would never come down to that but also knowing he didn’t have the faintest idea how the vampire world worked. What if someone did kidnap him and get all the information out of him on his loved ones? He wouldn’t be able to bear it if Regina and the Nitrams were killed because of him.

Dirk walked back to Darian, patting him on the back as a signal that it was his turn to test Kayden. It was his turn to push his limits and get the Vantas to stop being so submissive. The eldest vampire took a deep breath before walking up to the other.

“Now Kayden, I’m going to say a few things and you are not to tell me to stop, do you understand?” The eldest vampire asked, keeping his voice calm and even.

The newborn nodded, putting his trust into the other.

“In terms of religion, who do you believe in?”

“Uh, God, of course.” Kayden responded, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Darian smirked at the other, “Oh, that fictional character of yours?”

All so suddenly Kayden felt anger flare up inside of him. How dare he poke fun at the man he worshipped? How dare he wear that smirk? The newborn had the urge to say something to the other, but instead he kept his mouth shut… doing exactly as he had been told.

Darian leaned forward further, the smirk still on his face, “So has your preacher fucked you yet?”

Kayden stood up quickly from the couch, staring daggers at the other but still not speaking a word. His anger began to grow even stronger at the accusations and harsh stereotypes Darian was talking up. Heat erupted in his body and the newborn’s fists began clenching and unclenching.

“Did I strike a nerve?” Darian chuckled, not backing down. However the smirk on his face fell into that of a sneer, something much more sinister, “Maybe you _do_ need to get laid and I guarantee your preacher would do you well. Now sit down.”

The newborn did as he was told, though every part of him was screaming not to. Though he was a vampire, he could still feel his face flush. He was humiliated and angry, which weren’t very good combinations.

“What do you have nothing to say to me?” Darian asked, once again leaning forward, making sure he was eye-to-eye with Kayden. While he didn’t like acting the way he was and hated the hurt expressions the newborn was making, the vampire was beginning to lose patience and quickly. Why wasn’t Kayden learning fast enough?

The Cancer looked away, trying to hold back his emotions and keeping his expression neutral but failing horribly. He had always been bad at hiding how he was feeling as most had called him an open book, the man that wore his heart on his sleeve, which obviously wasn’t a good thing in the world of vampires.

Darian rolled his cold eyes, backing away as he snorted. If it had been him, he would’ve already learned how to break his submissive nature and moved on with the next step in being a newborn. Kayden was different in this sense and the elder vampire didn’t like it.

Dirk gave the other an incredulous look and walked up to the newborn. “You failed again, kid. Don’t sweat it, though. We’ll work on it. I’m sorry for bein’ harsh.”

Kayden opened his mouth to respond, it fully dawning on him that they were done for the day. Dirk and Darian were only doing this for his own protection. He had to learn. It was something he would need to drill in his head, though the Cancer was assuming future lessons weren’t going to be so easy. Just as he was about to speak, Darian interrupted.

“You are not to leave this house. You are not to see your friends or family, you are not to eat unless I give you permission, you are not to sleep unless I give you permission, and you are not allowed to leave that spot unless I give you permission.” He growled, his arms behind him and his back straight.

Dirk’s eyes widened, wanting to say something about that not being part of the plan. They weren’t supposed to control every aspect of Kayden’s life.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Dirk growled, resting his hands on his hips.

“Get out, Dirk. You are just going to make the boy try to disobey.” Darian responded.

Dirk couldn’t believe the 180 the other vampire pulled. What had gotten to him? Despite him wanting to say something and stand up for Kayden, Dirk knew that Darian wouldn’t let it slide. He decided to leave and simply let Darian play out whatever it was that he was trying to get at, though he hoped Kayden would snap out of his submissiveness as he didn’t trust what was to come.

“Fine, whatever. I’ll be back tomorrow to check up on you two. Later.” Dirk muttered before heading out, but not before giving Kayden a quick pat on the shoulder.

The newborn had completely shut down, keeping his head down. He wasn’t sure what to do, as Darian had told him to sit there and do nothing unless given permission, however he didn’t _want_ it to be that way, but why couldn’t he say no? Why couldn’t he stand up for himself, spit in Darian’s face and walk away?

The two heard the front door shut, signaling Dirk leaving fully. Darian’s hard eyes landed on Kayden. He stayed put as he spoke, not moving a muscle. “Go to bed.”

With a quick nod, Kayden stood and flitted to his room, undressing and laying on his bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, tears began flowing. The Cancer bit his tongue to hold back any sobs that tried to escape. Why would he let himself get into such a situation?


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Kayden awoke with a start. He could have sworn he was having a nightmare, though when he looked around the room Darian had forced him to stay in, he found no one. A shiver passed through his body as he laid back down, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes tightly. Everything from the previous night entered his mind. He couldn’t leave, he had to do every single thing Darian said, nothing less. If the Cancer broke one of the other’s rules, he couldn’t imagine the punishment that would be inflicted on him.

Eventually the door opened, causing him to jolt, though stay where he was. His body tensed as his fists clenched, ready to fight if need be- though he probably wouldn’t if it came down to it. He was weak and Darian made that known.

“Kayden?” A Texan accent rang out.

The newborn visibly relaxed, turning over and sitting up. Dirk hadn’t put the restrictions on him; he could trust him, whereas the trust he had in Darian had diminished quite a bit, even though he continuously told himself it was for his own good.

“Dirk!” Kayden nearly exclaimed in relief.

The Texan vampire chuckled, walking to the edge of Kayden’s bed and sitting, “How’re you feeling, kid?”

The newborn shrugged, throwing the covers off his body and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. If he had been human, the crispness of the cool mansion would’ve bothered him and made him shiver, though he felt nothing. The temperature was always the same. “I’m okay, I guess, though I’m assuming my submissive breaking, training, whatever is going to continue today…”

Dirk sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair, smiling sheepishly at the other, “Yeah. You need to learn, Kayden. It isn’t going to be easy, especially with Darian acting the way he is. But you can’t let the old fart get to ya, okay?”

“What was that?” A voice rang out, causing Dirk and Kayden to freeze, their eyes widening. Darian came into view, his arms behind his back and head up in an almost arrogant way. “I am sorry Strider, but I would rather you not talk to Kayden like that. Filling his mind with lies. Kayden needs to obey, isn’t that right? Say yes or no, nothing more.”

“Yes.” Kayden said automatically, not even thinking about it.

“Darian, you need to fucking lay off. You said we’d be treating him with at least a little-“

“Shut. Up.” Darian growled, flames in his eyes.

Dirk instantly backed up, knowing the last thing he and Kayden needed was to completely piss off the elder vampire, however the Texan still wanted to know just what it was that had set Darian off. What made him turn into someone so heartless?

“Now, Kayden, I have a few tests planned out for you, if you would stand up for me.” Darian said, stepping closer to the bed.

Kayden automatically stood, making it obvious he hadn’t learned anything from the previous day. Dirk wanted to walk away, but really didn’t want anything to get out of hand, which made him want to call someone. He knew quite a bit about Kayden just by looking at him, but how was he to learn anyone’s numbers? Unless he stole the newborn’s cellphone. Dirk made a mental note to do so if things began to grow out of control.

As soon as Kayden stood, Darian shoved him back onto the bed softly. “Stand up.”

Once again Kayden did as he was told, standing only to be shoved down again. This repeated many times, Darian’s shoves getting rougher and rougher until a loud _pop_ could be heard in the room, followed by a loud shout of pain from the newborn. Dirk automatically took a few steps forward, his eyes flashing red as his fangs began protruding, a growl leaving his throat.

Darian held up a hand, “Get up. You’ll heal.”

Kayden held his shoulder, whining softly. He hadn’t realized tears had begun pouring down his cheeks. He was scared and in pain, shaking violently at the thought of Darian hurting him more.

“If you don’t like it, say no.” Darian said simply. “Stop listening to me.”

The newborn shook his head; it was obvious he was confused and unsure of what to do. The Cancer looked to Dirk for a sign of what to do, however the Texan simply looked away, knowing there was nothing he could do. Was this the type of progress Darian was looking for? Was he trying to absolutely break the kid?

“Stand up.” Darian growled, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his foot impatiently.

Kayden whined and did as he was told. He held a hand over his shoulder, waiting for it to heal. Dirk knew it wouldn’t heal properly if the newborn didn’t pop it back into place and was about to comment on it when Darian beat him to it. The eldest vampire suddenly moved forward, gripping the newborn’s shoulder with one hand and using the other to propel the arm back, another loud pop sounding in the silent room followed by a yell from Kayden.

Darian pushed the other back onto the bed before walking out of the room without another word.

Dirk cursed, checking on the other before going after Darian, anger propelling him forward as he caught up to the elder vampire and spun him around.

“What the fuck is your problem, Ampora. You did a complete 180 and it’s confusing the fuck out of me and scaring Kayden. We aren’t trying to break him, we’re just trying to break the submissive habit that he somehow found himself in. What changed?” Dirk growled, trying not to lose himself to the anger that was pulsing through his body.

“He should have learned quicker than this. We have to use force on him, Strider.” Darian responded, venom lacing his words.

“Force? You call that bullshit you just pulled back there simple force? That was fucking abuse, Darian. Cut the shit out.”

“Oh? And what will happen when he gets surrounded by a coven of vampires and they try to completely rip him apart. What then? Do you expect them to just go easy on him? No, they would try to _break_ him. I am simply teaching him a lesson. If you have a problem with that, you need to leave.” Darian shot back.

“Fine, teach him a lesson. Show him all this, but treat him with a little kindness. I know you’re capable of it. I know how you feel, Darian. It’s obvious in the way you look at Kayden. You like him; hell you might even have a Soul Bond with him, but he probably doesn’t return those feelings. I know it’s ripping you apart and making you an angry piece of shit, but put yourself in his shoes. Try to realize that he’s fucking terrified back there and you aren’t fucking helping.” Dirk growled, wanting to slap Darian but instead walking away.

The Texan went back to Kayden, hoping he was doing okay, or at least doing better. Dirk walked into the room, automatically going up to the bed and sitting on the edge behind the other.

“Hey, I had a talk with Darian. Hopefully things will start being a little better for ya. I know this shit is difficult, but the faster you break your submissive behavior the faster all this bullshit will be over.” Dirk said, knowing he was probably beating a dead horse. If Kayden hadn’t listened before, he wouldn’t listen then. He had to learn on his own, which hurt Dirk; knowing that Kayden would have to endure more rough treatment to break a habit that wasn’t even his fault.

Kayden simply nodded, unsure of his feelings on the entire situation. He hated the fact that Darian had changed so drastically. He was afraid- no, terrified of the other. The Cancer simply wanted the other to turn back and never come back. He regretted trusting him in the first place; he regretted everything.

Once again, Darian entered the room, Kayden’s wishes going unanswered as he walked right up to the newborn, turning him onto his back and climbing on top of him. Kayden’s Jade eyes widened with fear as he stared up at the other, gripping the bed sheets in his fists and tensing.

Darian raised his fist and brought in down into the other’s gut, causing the newborn to gasp in pain, his eyes closing. He then raised another and brought it down in the same spot, doing it again and again until audible cracks could be heard as well as the labored breathing and sobs coming from the vampire beneath him. Dirk could only stay where he was, frozen with disbelief and fear at what the other had started to become. He’d heard stories, but he never thought Darian was actually the monster everyone made him out to be.

While it took a few minutes, Dirk finally went into action, grabbing the vampire on top of Kayden by the back of the neck and throwing him off, laying a few of his own punches in before tossing him against the wall.

“Cut it out! You didn’t even give him a fucking chance to fight back!” Dirk practically screamed, turning back to the sobbing newborn and trying to console him as best as possible, helping his body set the three broken ribs he had. “It’s okay, kid. We’re done for today, we’re done. Why didn’t you fucking fight back though, Kayden? He didn’t even say anything; why didn’t you fight back? You’re stronger than him, you can take him.”

A soft whine passed the newborn’s lips as he clutched at the Strider, gripping his white shirt and pulling him close. As soon as Kayden did so and their bodies touched, a warmth erupted within Dirk’s chest.

_Oh shit,_ he thought.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Dirk Strider knew he had a Soul Bond, he had always felt it in his chest. He didn’t know, however, that the bond would be between him and Kayden Vantas. It wasn’t full-blown, but it was prominent enough which was good enough for the Texan. He wasn’t sure if Kayden returned the feelings, though he felt the newborn tense as well.

The males stared at one another for a moment or two before Kayden fell back, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he passed out. Dirk growled lowly in his throat as he checked the blackette over, making sure his wounds were healing properly before rounding on the other once more.

“Listen here you son of a bitch, you are not to touch him anymore. You’ve lost that privilege.” Dirk growled, staring daggers at the other through his pointed shades.

Darian glared up at him, his teeth bared as his eyes began turning red slowly, starting at the pupils and moving out, covering the pale grey and making him look even more sinister. Along with his eyes, the eldest vampire’s fangs also began protruding. He let out a low, guttural growl as if he were a filthy mutt before standing slowly. Dirk had absolutely no right to talk to him the way he was. The vampire was simply trying to help Kayden, he just needed to use a little force with it. There was nothing wrong with that, right?

“I would very much like to see you try to make me. I created him, Strider. I made him who he is; not you. He is _mine._ ” The vampire hissed in response.

Dirk knew he needed to start standing down, but he couldn’t help it. It felt as if a fire was beginning in his chest; a fire that couldn’t be stopped unless it was ensured that Kayden was safe and, with Darian around, that wasn’t going to happen. The newborn would be in horrible danger if the other continued gracing them with his presence.

“Maybe I should beat the shit out of you, Darian. What is your deal? At first you care so much about him and now you don’t seem to give a rat’s ass. I don’t get it; I don’t get _you_.” The Texan muttered rolling his eyes. He didn’t want to waste his time any longer, it was obvious he and Darian were no longer friends and would probably never return to that status again, however Dirk didn’t know if the other vampire would actually let him leave without a word.

“My ‘deal’ is the simple fact that Kayden does not seem to want to learn anything. He is not willing to break his submissive nature. My feelings for him do not matter at this moment; all I care about is breaking his submissive personality, which you are making it quite obvious that you simply want to baby him,” Darian responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m not trying to baby him, alright? He’s still new to all this bullshit and you’re already being this way toward him; I just don’t think it’s the way he should learn. I know you learned the hard way and so did I, but Kayden isn’t responding well to it.”

“Then we need to double our efforts; be more forceful with him.” The elder vampire said, looking at the newborn that was still passed out on the bed.

Dirk rubbed his temples, closing his eyes for a moment. He couldn’t understand why Darian was having a hard time understanding what the Texan was trying to say. However, he knew that arguing was pointless. It would be best to let everything play out and simply take care of Kayden afterward each time.

“Damnit, Darian. Okay, fine. I ain’t going to like it, but you can do what you want with him.” Dirk muttered, hating the fact that he was just giving in. He wanted to fight it.

“Good. Now I’m going to take my leave as I must feed before coming back and continuing. When he wakes up, make sure he gets necessities, but he’s not to feed on blood; not that he would anyw-“ Darian suddenly froze, his eyes- which had gone back to their normal, cold selves- widened for a moment before a smirk found its way onto his face, “Just make sure he doesn’t eat or drink anything.” He then slipped out.

Dirk stared after him, wondering what Darian had up his sleeve before turning his attention to the other vampire who was stirring on the bed. He went to the other, moving the black hair from Kayden’s pale face before trying to offer up a smile.

The newborn groaned, his eyes closing once more for a few moments before opening again. Dirk couldn’t get over how vibrant the Jade eyes looking up at him were. The Texan had an urge to kiss the other, but knew it definitely wasn’t the time to do so.

“Where’s Darian?” Kayden’s hoarse voice asked, breaking the silence that had grown.

“He stepped out to feed.” Dirk responded.

The newborn smacked his lips a few times before his eyebrows furrowed, “Could I get a glass of water?”

Dirk shook his head, “No, Darian said not to let you eat or drink until he gets back. I don’t know why, but we have to listen to him.”

“He- he hurt me.” Kayden said softly, his eyes growing distant as if he were remembering everything that Darian had done to him.

“I know, but it’s to make you stop being so submissive. You have to learn how to speak up, Kayden. You don’t want to be this asshole’s slave, do you?” Dirk asked, ready to use force with words instead of action to get Kayden to break his submissive ways.

The newborn shook his head slowly, almost as if he had to think about it for a moment.

“Then you need to stand up to him; say no no matter what he says or does. He’s doing this to teach you a lesson. He’s doing it to show you that not all vampires are kind, especially the bad ones that get their hands on you. Others could do horrible things to you and we don’t want that to happen, kid.” The Texan said, feeling like he was talking to a small child.

Kayden nodded once again. He _knew_ what he needed to do; he knew he needed to stop being so submissive, but it was hard to break something he didn’t even know was wrong with him. The vampire hadn’t even gotten to accept the fact that he _was_ , in fact, submissive.

“I just wish he would stop hurting me,” The Jade-eyed vampire muttered, sitting up and scratching the back of his neck. He was beginning to gain his strength back, though he found that he was still weak; probably due to the obvious lack of human blood in his stomach.

Dirk looked down, a soft sigh escaping his lips, “I know, kid. All this shit will pass though, alright? All you have to do is get through this bullshit and you can be free of him.”

Kayden nodded, stretching his arms above his head before fully looking at Dirk, “So what was that I felt earlier- before I passed out, I mean? I know you felt it too.” He asked, eyes looking like they were growing bigger along with his curiosity.

“I- wait, what?” Dirk asked, his own eyes widening behind his shades.

“You touched me and it was like a warmth kind of exploded in my chest. I know you felt it too because you froze. So what does it mean?” Kayden asked again.

Dirk suddenly became slightly flustered as he hadn’t planned to have such a conversation at that moment in time. “Well, it might be a Soul Bond, but I’m not completely sure yet.”

“A- Soul Bond?” Kayden asked, his confusion growing with each word Dirk said that wasn’t elaborated on.

“Yeah- look, I’m not the one that should be telling you about all of this, okay? It should be Darian.” The Texan muttered, quickly trying to get the conversation off of the potential Bond. He knew things wouldn’t end well if it were brought to Darian’s attention that Dirk had been talking about Soul Bonds behind his back.

“Why Darian?” The newborn asked, his head tilting to the side.

“Because he’s the one that created you. He should be the one to fill you in. It just isn’t my place, alright?” Dirk said, trying not to get snappy with the other.

Kayden pursed his lips, his eyebrows furrowing. “No, I won’t take that as an answer. Tell me what a Soul Bond is, Dirk.”

The Texan found himself taken aback by the others command. Was he really learning? Was it a step in the right direction? Kayden was beginning to show that he wasn’t going to be obedient at all times, though Dirk knew that he needed to test it.

“Kayden. Kiss me.” Dirk commanded, his voice rising slightly as he sat up straighter.

The vampire looked taken aback for a moment before anger filled his eyes, “No. I’m not going to kiss you.”

“Kiss me now, you piece of shit.” Dirk growled.

“No!” Kayden shouted, pushing the other back.

A smile pulled the corners of Dirk’s mouth up, “Well done, kid. Look at all the progress you’re making with me. Hell, you don’t even need force.”

The other vampire smiled as well before leaning forward and kissing the other male on the cheek before sitting back. Dirk looked taken aback for a moment.

“I just complimented you on your progress and you go and kiss me? Damn, I guess I spoke too soon.” Dirk said, an obvious playfulness in his voice, though he was slightly disappointed.

Kayden chuckled, “No, I kissed you because I wanted to.”

Dirk’s eyes widened and before it fully registered in his mind that he was doing something that would piss off Darian if he were to walk in, he leaned forward, connecting his lips to the other vampires, a small burst of heat erupting within his chest once again. He gasped softly before his eyes closed and he leaned in further, laying a hand on Kayden’s waist as the others hands went up to Dirk’s chest.

Eventually they pulled away from one another, their breaths hitched ever so slightly.

“Wow,” Kayden started before a laugh snuck out. A smile formed on his face as a light blush dusted his cheeks.

“Yeah, wow.” Dirk responded, the blush not having reached his cheeks. He knew that what he had done would make Darian angry, but he hadn’t seen it; there was nothing to worry about.

Unknown to Kayden and Dirk, Darian stood outside the door, having heard and seen everything that had just went on. His heart ached and he yearned for some sort of revenge, but knew that if Kayden wanted Dirk, he would have to live with it, though he wasn’t going to let Strider off so easy.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

“Are you ready, Kayden?” Dirk asked, though he could barely be heard over the pulsating sounds of the music in the club. The newborn’s hands shook, though not as bad as they would have if it had just been him and Darian in the club. Dirk made him feel- safe. While Darian had been lightening up on the reigns, he’d also been acting quite strange. He would go out of his way to do things and make sure Kayden was comfortable. The newborn could sense the tension between the two, though he chose not to say anything on the matter.

Kayden nodded, his eyes darting around. After the last time in the club, he didn’t trust a single person. Darian had said it was better that way, though Dirk had told him not to let that get to his head. The newborn needed to put trust into a few people; not too many, but he couldn’t stick to only himself either. The different things he was told over and over confused him, though he was beginning to trust Dirk’s word over the elder vampire’s simply because of the way he had been treated.

The trio of vampires stood in the corner of the bar, watching as people mingled and talked. Everyone was bad in Kayden’s eyes; they were food. While he tried to keep that mindset, he was beginning to fail at doing so. He couldn’t stand the thought of viewing humans as a food source, it was almost like labeling himself a cannibal. The newborn just couldn’t do it.

Dirk stood in the middle of the two, watching a few of the criminals he had done extensive research on, making sure there was no way they could hurt Kayden. One of the criminals was a woman named Thalia. She had killed five or six people for the fun of it using different poison concoctions she had made up. Dirk knew that the woman needed to die and she was perfect for Kayden as Thalia didn’t have physical strength, otherwise she would’ve killed people using weapons instead of poison.

“Alright, do you see that woman there with the bright red hair?” Dirk asked, pointing at Thalia whilst knowing she wouldn’t look over as she was distracted herself.

Kayden nodded in response, staring at the woman. “What did she do?”

“She poisons people for fun,” Dirk responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

The newborn nodded once again, taking a deep breath. All he had to do was continue telling himself that this woman killed people. She didn’t care about human lives, so what was the point of caring about hers?

“Do you know what to do, kid?” Dirk asked.

“Lure her out and snap her neck,” Kayden said.

Dirk nodded in confirmation, “Go feed. We’ll be here and if you aren’t back here in ten minutes, we’re going to come out after you. Don’t forget to clean up after yourself.”

“Got it,” Kayden muttered before walking away. The newborn knew what to do, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it. How was he going to lure her out? If Kayden knew anything it was that he was absolutely horrible with women. Gataki was proof of that.

Kayden ended up in front of the other, a smile on his face, “Hey, my car broke down and I need to call a mechanic but my phone died. Could I use yours? Maybe we could step out so I can make the call? I’ll pay you back with a drink.” The newborn kept his voice calm and controlled, trying not to let it waver or show any signs that he was unsure of himself. Only his hands shook which was something he was proud of.

“Yeah, of course.” Tahlia said, plastering a smile to her face before leading the way out the side door. The door lead into a parking lot, but at one in the morning there weren’t many people out and about, which meant he could get away with killing and feeding on her with no problem.

The two exited the building, stepping into the cool night air, though Kayden didn’t feel it. As he turned toward the woman, he saw her pulling out her phone, getting ready to hand it over. Kayden started to have second thoughts- what if this woman wasn’t really a killer? What if Dirk was lying? The newborn decided not to second guess himself and with his vampiric speed, he went up to Tahlia and snapped her neck.

Kayden’s fangs elongated along with his claws as he bit into the woman’s neck, automatically gulping down the warm blood that filled his mouth as if it were the Holy wine of God Himself. His eyes fell closed as he drank, feeling a thirst within him become sated. The _hunger_ was going away, which made the newborn want to fall to his knees in relief.

Eventually the woman ran dry and Kayden found that he was having trouble detaching himself from her, though he finally managed, wiping his mouth before picking up the body and throwing it in the dumpster. He stood by the door, continuing to wipe his mouth before it all suddenly dawned on him.

He had killed someone. Kayden had just murdered someone in cold blood and drained them. His fangs and claws retracted as he sank to his knees, trying to process what he had just done. He suddenly began questioning the Lord. Why would God have let him do such a thing? Why had God let him turn into such a thing?

The side door suddenly opened and Dirk and Darian came bounding out, concern evident on their faces.

“Kayden! Are you alright?” Darian asked, kneeling next to the other and resting a hand on the newborn’s shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze.

“I- killed her.” The vampire responded before falling apart completely, tears filling his eyes before spilling over onto his cheeks. Choked sobs escaped his throat as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to forget what he did.

Darian stood up straight, unsure of what to do. He knew that Kayden felt tense toward him, so the elder vampire tried to keep his distance. Dirk, on the other hand, moved forward to console the other. He wrapped his arms around Kayden, pulling him close as the newborn cried.

“It’s okay, Kayden. It’s okay.” Dirk whispered, resting his chin atop the others head.

The newborn began calming down slowly but surely, moving his own arms around the other male. Kayden found comfort in the other’s arms and he felt himself begin to relax. While he was still sniffling, the tears had stopped as had the sobs. Instead of crying, he stared straight ahead, trying to push the thought of him feeding out of his mind- even though the Jade-eyed vampire knew he’d have to feed again eventually. It would be a process; every week he would have to go out and kill someone.

“I’m sorry,” Kayden muttered, wiping his cheeks and eyes before moving away from Dirk.

The Texan shrugged, offering the other a smile. “It’s okay, kid. I know shit is hard, but you have to give it a few more times. You’ll get the hang of it.”

The newborn nodded, trying to believe what the other was saying but unable to do so. Kayden wanted to hear what the other had gone through when he was first turned. It made him curious, but he didn’t want to pressure it- especially not in front of Darian.

The eldest vampire once again rested a hand on Kayden’s shoulder, “Dirk is right, you will get the hang of it. Most newborn vampires have trouble in the beginning and it is quite hard to kill, but it all gets easier, especially since you have to do it. There is no other choice.”

Kayden looked up at the other, making no indication that he actually heard what Darian said, though it was obvious he had. Dirk rolled his eyes at the older vampire before standing, holding a hand out to help the other stand. At first the Texan had questioned moving forward with Kayden in a relationship out of respect for Darian, but he was beginning to no longer care. He _wanted_ the Jade-eyed vampire, he could no longer deny it.

“Hey Kayden, do you want to head over to my place? We can watch a movie or some bullshit like that.” Dirk said as Kayden stood.

The Texan vampire caught the look of hatred Darian cast at him, but he didn’t care. It was his loss that he didn’t move first to get Kayden; it was _his_ fault he didn’t treat the newborn with respect.

The newborn smiled, a light blush dusting across his pale features. “Yeah, that’d be great, Dirk.” Was that Dirk’s way of asking someone out on a date? Kayden didn’t think so as he could see the other vampire taking others out on extravagant dates.

Dirk returned the smile before motion away from where they were, showing him the way to go, “Come on then, Kayden.” He then turned to Darian, “You good on your own?”

Darian simply shook his head before he flitted. Dirk guessed he had gone back to his own place to wallow in self-pity. The Texan was done trying to make amends as Darian was adamant on hating Dirk, that much was obvious.

Kayden stayed still, waiting on Dirk to show him the way. He looked around his surroundings, avoiding the dumpster, still not able to face the fact that he had killed someone. The newborn shook his head, trying to block everything out once again.

“Come on, Kayden.” The Texan said, walking past him and heading toward his apartment.

The newborn quickly followed behind the other, catching up to him with ease and sticking to his side. Kayden could feel more warmth seep into his chest, which made him feel even more relaxed around the other. He wanted to stick with Dirk for as long as possible- never leave him.

The two walked in silence until they reached Dirk’s apartment. The elder of the two stepped in first, turning on a few lights before turning to face the other.

“Well, this is my place. The room we’re in right now is the living room, to your left is the kitchen, in the back is a hallway and in there on the right there’s two doors for the bedrooms; the first one’s mine and the second one is for my mixing shit. On the left there’s the bathroom. I know it’s not much, but it’s something.” Dirk said, pointing everything out.

Kayden nodded in response to everything before his eyes caught Dirk’s face and lingered. He yearned to see what the Texan’s eyes held underneath his shades, but didn’t want to pressure the other into taking them off, especially when he hadn’t taken them off thus far.

“What?” Dirk asked, catching the other vampire staring at him.

“Oh, nothing.” Kayden responded quickly, looking away quickly.

The Texan raised a brow, stepping closer to Kayden and capturing his cheek with his hand gently. He looked at the newborn for a moment before leaning in and pressing his lips against the others, automatically running his tongue against Kayden’s bottom lip. The Jade-eyed vampire opened his mouth slightly as Dirk moved his tongue into Kayden’s mouth, tasting him. He could still taste the blood Kayden had had. It was bitter, as most criminal blood was. He had tasted innocent blood when he was first created and it had a sweet taste to it, unlike the blood of a criminal.

Dirk began moving the other, making him go backward until his back hit the wall. The Texan pressed up against him, rutting against the tent that was growing in Kayden’s black jeans. The newborn moaned, his head tilting back and exposing his throat, which Dirk took as an opportunity to latch his lips onto, sucking hard. He was beginning to lose control already and he wasn’t inside the other.

“Kayden, do you want to do this?” Dirk asked, his breath beginning to grow shallow.

The newborn nodded, his eyes hooded. While he was nervous about having sex with a man- or rather, sex in general again- Kayden knew he wanted to have intimacy with Dirk. He wanted to feel the throes of passion again and he wanted to feel it with someone that wouldn’t betray him in the same way his ex-wife had.

“Good,” Dirk responded before grabbing Kayden’s hand and leading him to the bedroom.

The newborn smiled as he followed Dirk to his bedroom, which was messy- very messy. CDs were piled everywhere, a few of the stacks had fallen over. Various posters were hung on the wall- techno bands and a few alien movies. Kayden wanted to stop and look around, but knew it would completely ruin the mood, so he let himself be pushed gently onto the bed.

Kayden watched as Dirk slid his shirt off, showing off his abs as well as various scars littering his body. The newborn wondered what they were from but decided not to dwell on it too much, instead he made a mental note to ask Dirk about it after they had finished having sex.

Dirk climbed on top of the other, once again rutting his hips against Kayden’s, causing the younger to moan softly. The Texan ran his hand underneath Kayden’s black t-shirt, traveling up to his chest and softly tweaking one of his nipples. This earned a louder moan, making Dirk smirk before he attached his lips to Kayden’s neck once again, sucking as he tweaked the newborn vampire’s nipple once more.

The Cancer’s hands went up to Dirk’s back, trying to scratch with his blunt nails. He hadn’t known just how good simple foreplay felt. Dirk once again moved his hips against the others before he couldn’t take it anymore.

Dirk sat up, unzipping Kayden’s pants.

“Lift your hips, Kayden,” he said, waiting until the other did as asked before he pulled his pants down before removing them completely and throwing them over the side of the bed. “Sit up for me.” Once again, Kayden did as asked, sitting up and letting Dirk take off his shirt.

Kayden, now nude, laid back down, looking up at the other with his big, bright eyes. Dirk stared down at him as well, pondering on whether or not it would be a good time to take off his shades. In the end, he decided to leave them on. He wasn’t ready for the other male to see his eyes. Not at that point in time.

The Texan reached into his bedside table, pulling out a tube of lube. He rubbed a generous amount on his fingers, making sure there was a decent coat before looking up at the other once again.

“Spread your legs for me?”

Kayden nodded, his breath hitching as he spread his legs apart. Dirk couldn’t help but notice just how innocent the newborn looked in that moment. He wanted to take him right then and there, but knew that preparation was definitely needed. It was obvious the Jade-eyed vampire hadn’t slept with another male, so he had to be prepped.

Dirk watched Kayden as he pushed his index finger against the tight hole of the younger vampire’s ass. The Jade-eyed vampire jumped slightly at the feeling of something foreign against his ass. Dirk froze before waiting for the other to nod, which he eventually got and used as a ‘go ahead’.

The Texan slowly began pushing in with his index finger, the tip of said finger going past the ring of muscle before Kayden tensed completely, hissing softly.

“You alright?” He asked.

Kayden nodded after a moment, trying to relax.

“Play with your nipples,” Dirk whispered as he spit on his free hand and began rubbing the younger’s member. Kayden moaned, his eyes rolling into the back of his head in bliss.

Dirk smiled before pushing his finger in further. It didn’t take long before his finger was in to the knuckle. He stopped for a moment to let the other male adjust before he brought his finger up into the bundle of nerves that would make Kayden see stars. The younger vampire practically screamed in pleasure when Dirk hit his prostate. The Texan grinned before hitting it again and again, all while stroking Kayden’s cock.

“Oh God, Dirk, please. More, more.” The Cancer huffed, gyrating his hips, trying to get more traction, more speed from the other vampire.

Dirk moved his hands faster, hitting and stroking Kayden in all the right places before he cried out and came, cum spewing from his cock as he trembled, whining loudly and tensing, his hips raising slightly from the bed. Dirk continued his movements until Kayden whined once more, signaling that what the Texan was doing had gotten to be too much.

The Cancer collapsed back onto the bed, his chest heaving as he looked up at the ceiling, a small smile on his face. Dirk returned the smile, though it wasn’t directed at him.

“I hope that was good for you,” Dirk chuckled, moving to Kayden’s side.

The other vampire simply nodded, unable to speak at that moment. Kayden eventually got control of his breathing and movements. He turned over, looking at the other, a blush flooding his face.

“I’m sorry you didn’t come too,” Kayden whispered, honestly feeling bad for coming before Dirk had a chance to get inside him.

“It’s okay, Kayden. You were way too tight, I would need to finger you a lot more before my dick can go in you.” The Texan said, sitting up and grabbing Kayden’s jeans, “Here, put these back on…” he trailed off, looking away for a moment before speaking again, “Just so you know, I didn’t just bring you back here to fuck you, I brought you back because I did think you’d want to see a movie or some shit.”

The Jade-eyed vampire chuckled, “I didn’t think that was the case.” He then grabbed his pants and stood up, wriggling them back on. Dirk watched as he did so; Kayden was pudgy, which the Texan liked. The Cancer had a tummy on him, as well as thighs. Dirk wanted to worship his body, but knew it would have been weird to do so at that time- or their first time for that matter.

“Are we still up for the movie, though?” Kayden asked, making the Texan laugh.

“Yeah, we’re still up for the movie, Kayden. I’m picking, though.”


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those that are complaining: Yes, DirkJake is listed in the ships due to the fact that it will occur but hasn't yet. People can be in relationships, break up, and then start dating someone else. I know it's a hard concept to grasp, but that's the truth. So please, be patient.

“Kayden, come on, wake up.” Dirk called out to the vampire sleeping on his bed. He couldn’t remember when they had fallen asleep or when the Texan had carried Kayden to bed, but he had to stop and look at the newborn- notice just how small and innocent he was with the covers pulled up to his chin, sleeping in almost a fetal position.

The younger vampire groaned, pulling the blankets over his head. He had never been a morning person, but since turning into a vampire, things had gotten worse in terms of him actually getting up in the morning.

Dirk flopped next to the other, moving the covers over himself as well as he looked over at Kayden, who had fallen asleep once again. The Texan chuckled softly before moving closer to the other, wrapping an arm around his waist. His head was in the clouds at the fact that he had Kayden by his side. The vampire brought a happiness to him that he’d never felt before.

The older of the two pressed his lips to the younger’s temple before moving his lips to the others ear, “Kayden you need to wake up,” he said softly, almost smiling when he heard another soft groan come from the newborn.

“Why?” Came a muffled response as he moved his face into the pillow, trying to get comfortable.

“Because, Darian wants to see us and we shouldn’t keep him waiting.” Dirk responded, getting off the bed and grabbing the comforter, pulling it off of the other.

Kayden let out another muffled groan and finally sat up, his eyes bleary as he looked around the room, finally taking in all of Dirk’s belongings. Art lined one side of the wall, it looked as if a three year old had done it, but he knew that no three year old would make a comic with such adult wording- it made Kayden wonder if the Texan had actually done it himself. He noticed the same things from the night before- the CDs and posters on the other three walls. Dirk definitely seemed like a nerd, but a lot of the posters also just didn’t seem like him.

The newborn vampire decided not to ponder it as he slid off the bed and stretched, becoming content when he heard his back pop in three different spots. “What does Darian want to see us about?” Kayden wasn’t exactly looking forward to seeing the other due to the fact that Darian always found ways to ruin the blackette’s mood without fail.

“I don’t know, he didn’t say, he just said it was pretty important.” Dirk responded.

Kayden nodded and began looking around for clothes before realizing that he wasn’t at Darian’s place where all his clothes were located. The vampire rolled his eyes before heading to the bathroom, doing his business and trying to make himself look at least a little presentable. He ran his fingers through his thick hair and tried to smooth out the wrinkles in his t-shirt that had been slept in. When both of these things proved to be failures, the vampire gave up with a roll of his eyes and left the bathroom, joining Dirk by the front door.

“Ready?” Dirk asked, giving him a once over.

“Yeah, Darian’s probably going to think that I look like a wreck.” Kayden muttered, worried about what the eldest vampire would say when he and Dirk walked in.

“Who cares what that old piece of shit has to say,” The Texan commented, opening the door and flitting before Kayden had time to respond.

The newborn closed the front door of Dirk’s apartment before following along behind the other, making it to Darian’s mansion in a matter of seconds.

Dirk and Kayden stood next to one another for a moment, looking at the front door before the latter sighed, moving forward and knocking three times. A few moments later, the door opened, Darian standing over the threshold with his lips pursed.

“Hey, Darian,” Kayden said softly. Dirk brought him out of his shell while Darian made him want to retreat right back into it.

“Hello, Kayden. You look like Hell, are you alright?” The eldest vampire asked.

The newborn vampire sighed, “Yeah, I’m fine. I didn’t get to shower or anything at Dirk’s place. I’m, uh, going to go do that now.” Kayden looked between the two older ones, watching as the two practically stared one another down before rolling his eyes and walking away, breaking into a flit and going upstairs to his room.

Downstairs, Darian practically snarled at the other, “So, did you have a nice time with him? Are you two together now, or were you planning on rubbing that in my face?”

Dirk scoffed, “Are you seriously fucking being this way, Darian? I don’t have to tell you a single goddamn thing. I don’t _owe_ you anything, so if that’s your mindset you better cut it the fuck out.”

“He is mine and you have no right to take him from me!” Darian hissed, baring his teeth at Dirk. The vampire knew that he had no right to act the way he was. If one of the original vampires saw him acting out as he was, he would have been killed on sight. He was acting like a full-blown child.

“God you’re a baby. Cut the shit out, Darian.” Dirk muttered, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. He purposely failed to mention the facts that he and Kayden slept together and that they weren’t dating- at least, they hadn’t yet made it official. Dirk wasn’t sure if he wanted to go that far. He didn’t believe he was ready.

Darian grumbled before walking away, heading to the kitchen and sitting at one of the various barstools aligning the island. He ran a hand through his hair and looked up as Dirk walked in, having followed him.

“Look Darian, I know you’re pissed off at me for doing what I did- honestly, I’d be pissed too, but don’t take it out on Kayden. He didn’t know. We both know that he’s only been in one relationship and it was piss poor, she treated him like shit in the end. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, so obviously any decisions on romance he makes is probably him just taking chances.” Dirk explained, wanting to at least _try_ to mend things between the two.

The eldest vampire shook his head, looking away. “You don’t understand. He wouldn’t choose me, even if he did have experience. Look at the way I’ve treated him, Dirk. Would you trust me and want to get close to me if I had treated you in such a manner?”

Dirk grew silent, knowing the answer but not wanting to say it out loud, however it was obvious to Darian what it was simply because of the silence.

“Exactly.” He said, growing quiet as well.

“You know things can be mended, right?” Dirk asked after a few moments of the two listening to the running water in the shower above them. They could faintly hear Kayden’s voice belting out a few notes every once in a while as well. It made the Texan want to smile and he was sure Darian felt the same way.

“How? I ruined his life. He’ll never trust me again.” Darian responded, pitying himself.

Dirk rolled his eyes, “and how do you know that? Did Kayden actually admit this to you?”

“No, bu-“

“Exactly, so you have no right to say what Kayden would or wouldn’t do. If you actually treat him with respect and compassion, he’ll probably want to get close to you, but if you don’t then he’ll continue being scared and distant.” Dirk said, his voice raising ever so slightly, though he didn’t want to get too loud. There was something that told him Kayden wouldn’t appreciate it too much if Dirk were putting words in his mouth.

Darian was at a loss for words. Instead, he nodded, averting his gaze from the other. He hated it when Dirk was right about things, but also didn’t mind as much as any other vampire, as they would’ve rubbed it in. Dirk simply told others how it was and then moved on with his life, which was something Darian appreciated.

The vampires heard the water suddenly stop from the shower upstairs, signaling the fact that Kayden had gotten out. Dirk decided to change the subject, instead focusing on what Darian had called them back for.

“So what did you need us here for?” Dirk asked, taking a seat at one of the bar stools. He felt much more okay with making himself at home when Darian wasn’t at his throat.

“I got a call from Regina. She wants to see Kayden, but I’m not sure if he’s ready to deal with humans alone, so I was wondering if you could accompany him to see her.” Darian answered.

Dirk raised a brow, “And why didn’t she call Kayden about this?”

“She knows that I created him. Regina Pyrope has a lot of knowledge of vampires; she’s studied them and knows that when a vampire is created, it usually stays with its creator for around five years or at least until the creator wants nothing to do with said vampire.” Darian responded.

The Texan nodded with a sigh, “Personally, I think he did really well last night and think he’d be okay by himself. Maybe I could go with him and just stand outside just in case shit goes down. I think Regina can hold her own, though. She’s a police officer, a witch, and just a general badass. The chick is pretty well known, Darian.”

The eldest vampire shrugged, “It’s all up to Kayden.”

“What’s up to me?” Kayden’s voice suddenly sounded. Dirk and Darian turned to him. He was dressed in a black t-shirt, blue and gray flannel, and blue jeans. His big eyes were, as always, full of curiosity.

“Regina called me and wants to see you. I wasn’t sure if you wanted Dirk to accompany you or not. Do you think you’re ready to be around humans freely?” Darian asked, standing.

Kayden looked down. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure if he was ready to be around those he loved without another vampire around. He would never forgive himself if he were to attack Regina or one of the Nitrams. He took a deep breath before looking up, knowing he couldn’t do it alone- not at that point in time.

“I’d like Dirk to come with me. I would rather it be Regina and I, but I don’t trust myself fully.” The newborn vampire answered.

Darian nodded, looking to Dirk, “Then it’s settled. You two should probably go. Regina threatened to stake me if you weren’t over by five, Kayden.”

The newborn vampire smiled before heading to the door, motioning Dirk to come along after saying goodbye to Darian.

Before he followed, Dirk stopped and looked at the eldest vampire, “You’re already doing well with him, Darian. He seems to be responding a lot better than you. Keep it up and he might call you a friend in the near future.” The Texan smirked before following Kayden, quickly flitting after him, as the newborn had went off as soon as he saw Dirk was also ready to go.

Dirk and Kayden reached Regina’s house within three minutes, stopping in front of her door. The newborn vampire automatically went up and knocked, standing back slightly to wait for his friend to come to the door.

Soon enough, it opened and Kayden’s redhaired friend appeared, a bright smile on her face.

“Hello, Kayden! You’re right on time, it looks like I don’t have to stake Darian after all- lucky for him.” She winked at the other, her raspy voice loud, but not obnoxiously so.

“Hey, Regina. It’s really good to see you again,” Kayden smiled, opening his arms slightly to hug the other. He couldn’t help but notice Dirk stiffen when she came in for the hug, the two embracing. It almost seemed like Dirk was just waiting for Kayden to snap and drain his best friend of all the blood she had in her body.

The newborn vampire pulled away from Regina, still smiling though it had faltered slightly due to Dirk’s behavior. Kayden didn’t trust himself either, but the other vampire’s behavior didn’t make him feel any better about who he was. It was obvious Regina picked up on this as she suddenly spoke up.

“Kayden, why don’t you come inside? And Strider, you can stay out here. Maybe put yourself to good use and tend to my garden or something.” Regina said brightly, though with a hint of control in her voice as she spoke to Dirk.

“I would, but Kayden needs-“

“Kayden doesn’t need you to babysit him. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you. Did you think I wouldn’t prepare for a newborn vampire to enter my house? I know what to do. Thank you.” Regina said, her green eyes beginning to fill with slight anger.

Dirk tossed his hands up, “Alright, fine.” He then turned to Kayden, “If you need me, just yell, okay? I’ll be able to hear you.”

Kayden nodded before following Regina into the house while Dirk stayed outside, looking around at Regina’s large garden. She had everything- from growing cucumber to sunflowers. The Texan assumed it was because she was a witch that so many things were able to grow in close proximity to one another. He scratched the back of his head and looked around, trying to figure out what to do with himself. In the end, he decided to sit on the front porch and play on his cellphone, losing himself in Angry Birds.

Inside the Pyrope household, Regina poured Kayden a cup of tea.

“So, how have things been?” She asked, looking up at him as she set the kettle down and pushed the vampire’s cup toward him.

Kayden shrugged, “Okay, I guess. I’m adjusting really well- at least, that’s what Darian and Dirk say. I had my first kill last night; it was a woman that killed people by poisoning them and she did it for the pure fun of it.”

“Where do you three put the bodies?” Regina asked suddenly.

“I put the woman’s body in the dumpster.” Kayden responded, realizing that the dumpster probably wasn’t the best place to put a body.

Regina nearly face palmed, “Alright, you can keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll cover for you. I’m not sure what I’m going to say right now, but I need to come up with something. The last thing this town needs is talk of a vampire problem. There are already rumors of werewolves and witches- courtesy of the Nitrams and I.”

Kayden nodded, a smile pulling the corners of his lips up at the thought of the Nitrams causing problems in the town. It didn’t surprise him that they did so, especially when it came to Rufioh.

“Thank you, Regina.” He said, picking up his teacup and taking a sip of the bitter liquid. The vampire didn’t like tea on the best days, but now that he was a vampire, it tasted even worse. Kayden stuck out his tongue trying to get the taste out of his mouth.

“No problem; and you do know that you don’t have to drink that, right? Damn, if you didn’t like it, you could’ve just said something. Now my feelings are hurt.” Regina said, her voice raising slightly as if she were upset by Kayden’s actions.

The Cancer automatically went into action, ready to stand up and grovel in apology, however Regina spoke up first, “I’m only kidding though, I know my tea tastes like shit.” She chuckled before taking another sip out of her own glass, “It tastes like shit but I’ve gotten used to it, so eh.” The woman shrugged.

Kayden rolled his eyes playfully before sitting back in his seat, looking away, “I miss you, Regina. I don’t like the fact that it’s just Darian and Dirk around me at all times. I want to see you and the Nitrams more, but I don’t think I’m ready enough.”

“Well, you’re doing fine right now, hun.” Regina responded, resting her elbows on the table.

“I know, but what if things get bad and I try attacking you. I’d hate myself for all of eternity if I ever hurt any of you.” Kayden whispered, trying not to let himself get too emotional. The fact that it was being said out loud with the possibility there scared him.

Regina put her dark hand on the vampire’s, leaning forward slightly. “It’ll be okay, Kayden. We aren’t weak children, we’re adults that know what we’re doing and can handle our own.”

Kayden nodded, knowing she was right, but still not wanting to risk anything. Everything else in his life had gone to shit, so he wouldn’t be surprised if he did fly off the handle around his loved ones.

“Alright, subject change; how are you feeling?” Regina asked quickly, knowing her friend was growing uncomfortable.

“Feeling about what?”

The witch pursed her lips, raising a brow toward the other. The question was obvious, Kayden just wasn’t sure if he wanted to answer it. He decided it would be best to just appease his friend, as he didn’t want her to think something was wrong with him. She was a cop and did her job well, so she would pry if under the impression that something was wrong.

“It’s different, obviously. But there’s something about being a vampire that I kind of like. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I can flit now or what. There’s almost a beauty in it, plus I met Dirk.” Kayden blushed at the thought of the night before, though realized what he was thinking quickly and cleared his throat, “I just don’t like the fact that I have to kill people.”

Regina arched a brow at the other at the mention of Strider, but didn’t say anything. The last thing the witch was was stupid. She knew what the blush and pause in the vampire’s speech meant. He liked the Texan. She became slightly concerned when her friend admitted he still didn’t like killing people.

“But you know it’s necessary, Kayden. You have to feed in order to survive and, well, not go off the handle. I know it’s hard, but you have to do it.” She said softly, taking another sip of her tea.

The vampire nodded, looking down. The two fell into a comfortable silence with Regina taking sips of her tea and Kayden playing with a few crumbs on the old wood of the witch’s table.

It was Kayden that finally decided to break the silence, “So how’s your job going?”

“It’s going great, honestly. I might be promoted which is a miracle in itself as my boss keeps getting pissed at me for coming in late and pulling pranks on everyone.” The woman cackled, sitting back in her chair, her eyes playful.

“I’m sure your co-workers don’t mind it much. After all, you _are_ the greatest prankster in town,” Kayden laughed.

“You’re damn right!” She paused, as if thinking about what she wanted to say, “I’m also busy covering for all the supernaturals in town. It’s a hard job and there’s only one other that helps me; a vampire. She keeps tabs on others, but doesn’t quite hold a place of power in her world- or rather, your world. She knows about you, though.”

Kayden tilted his head, “Knows about me?”

“Who you are rather, and who created you.” Regina clarified.

The vampire ran a hand through his thick black hair, “Is that a bad thing? Am I ready for other vampires to take notice in me? Darian said he didn’t want anyone knowing about me, especially not if Candace gets wind that I’m a vampire.” Kayden remembered exactly what Darian had said about the original vampire. If she knew that the vampire was Fertile _and_ the son of Rosa Maryam, things wouldn’t end well for any of them. Kayden wasn’t ready to meet any of the originals.

Regina shrugged, “She’s a good vampire, and she sticks to the criminals and doesn’t cause any trouble. I’m sure she wouldn’t say anything to Peixes. Besides, Darian doesn’t know what he’s talking about; I think he’s just trying to use scare tactics on you.”

Kayden’s eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“Everyone knows Candace rarely goes to take care of others. She stays comfy where she is and sends her sister or Grant Makara out to do her dirty work.” Regina said, her face full of surprise at the fact that Darian had left that part out in his explanation of the original vampires.

The vampire sighed and looked down, wanting to confront Darian about leaving important details out of things, however he didn’t have it in him. Another silence grew, but this one was tense and uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, Kayden. I’m a witch, so it’s not even my place to tell you all of this.” Regina sighed, being the one to break it.

The vampire shrugged, “It’s okay, Regina. Look, I think I need to go, I don’t want to be a downer and I need to have a word with Darian.” He then stood up, followed closely by Regina.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind, you can talk to me, hun.” The redheaded woman said quickly.

“Yeah. I’m sorry,” he offered the other a quick smile before flitting out of Regina’s home, past Dirk playing on his phone, and to Darian’s place. He wasn’t sure what had possessed him to do what he was about to do, but the vampire was going to confront Darian. He wasn’t a child and could be told things; information didn’t need to be withheld from him.

Instead of knocking, Kayden stepped right in.

“Darian,” he called out, “we need to talk.”

The vampire turned and jumped slightly when he saw the elder vampire standing in front of him, his mouth in a straight line.

“I just went to see Regina.” Kayden started, “And she told me about Melissa.”

“Yes, and?” Darian asked, his eyebrows raising.

“Why did you make me fear Candace? Why didn’t you tell me more about Melissa? You don’t have to withhold information from me, Darian. I’m not a kid.” The younger growled.

The elder vampire looked taken aback before an annoyed expression found its way to his face. “I did not withhold information from you Kayden, and I do not appreciate these accusations. I did not tell you about Melissa because it was unimportant.”

“How in the Hell is that unimportant? What are you trying to hide from me?” Kayden asked, growing confused. If it really was unimportant, why would Darian keep it hidden from him?

“You know what? I’m not going to have this conversation with you, Kayden.” Darian said and simply held his tongue when Kayden continued to try and question him.

“Fine!” The vampire hissed, throwing his hands up in exasperation before walking away and heading up to his room.

Darian rolled his eyes when the door slammed. If the vampire didn’t know any better he would have assumed Kayden was still a teenager instead of in his early twenties. He sighed and turned around to lock the front door when Dirk suddenly appeared, a frantic look on his face.

“Where’s Kayden?” He asked, voice filled with panic, “I was at Regina’s sitting outside and playing on my phone and next thing I know Regina’s telling me to get off her property and go check on him and, fuck! Is he here?”

Darian would have laughed at the situation and the Texan’s panic if he weren’t already annoyed at Kayden and the Melissa situation.

“Yes, he’s here.” The eldest vampire muttered before walking away, heading to the kitchen to get a glass of wine.

Dirk visibly relaxed when he heard the news that Kayden was there, though Darian’s attitude was beginning to concern him greatly. He followed the other into the kitchen, watching as Darian grabbed a bottle of wine, opening it with ease and retrieving a glass with his other hand, pouring until the glass was nearly full before downing it. Yeah, something was definitely wrong.

“What happened? Is Kayden okay?” The Texan asked, tensing up once again and getting ready to run if he heard that his supposed Soul Bond wasn’t okay.

“He’s fine, just being a little shit,” Darian responded, earning a confused look from Dirk. “He came in here accusing me of withholding information from him- information about Melissa.”

Dirk looked away, knowing the subject of Melissa Serket was a touchy one for him. He couldn’t exactly blame Kayden for being curious and then jumping the gun.

“Maybe it’s time you tell him.” Dirk mused, interlocking his fingers and leaning forward.

“And why should I?” Darian asked, growing stubborn.

“Because he has the right to know about your past. He has the right to hear what happened when you were first turned. He’s only heard a little bit, right?” Dirk asked.

“Yes, but that does not mean I need to tell him my life story, especially not when he is acting the way he is.” The eldest vampire grew into his old speech habits, making Dirk want to roll his eyes.

Dirk just nodded, “Fine, but keep in mind that at one point you _do_ need to come clean. It’s part of building that trust to lead to friendship. I swear, I should just give you lessons on this shit.”

Darian shook his head, pouring himself another glass of wine before downing that one too. “I might talk to him, I just think it is best if the both of us calm down first. I know Kayden is pissed at me for how I reacted and I am still angry at him for accusing me without knowing the full extent of what happened in my life.”

The Texan wanted to say more about how it was in fact partly Darian’s fault, but he knew that it wouldn’t be the wisest decision. Instead he nodded, “Alright, man. Do what you need to do. I’m going home. Call me if something comes up.” Dirk waited for a sign that Darian had heard what he said, instead he got the vampire pouring himself another glass of wine.

With a soft sigh, Dirk stood up and left Darian’s mansion, hoping the eldest vampire would have enough sense to at least try to talk to Kayden about the situation.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Kayden sang at the beginning is 'Monster' by Imagine Dragons.

Kayden awoke to a form lying next to him, soft breaths making the chest rise and fall in a melodic pattern. He let his eyes adjust to the soft light coming through the window before taking in all the features of the form. Dirk. The vampire grew confused at the fact that the Texan was in his bed, but decided not to question it too much. Instead he moved closer to Dirk, snuggling into his chest and sighing in content.

It had been two days since he’d had the argument with Darian and the vampire found that it was downing him slightly. The eldest vampire was going out of his way to avoid that other. Dirk simply said that Darian needed more time, but Kayden got different vibes from it.

“Hey, Kayden.” The Texan mumbled, a smile pulling the corners of his lips up.

“Hi, Dirk,” Kayden responded, nuzzling the vampire’s chest and looking up, wishing he could take off Dirk’s shades and look into his eyes, but knew the Texan had a thing about taking his shades off.

“Are you doing okay? You’ve been up here all day.” Dirk commented, though the younger wished he didn’t say anything on it.

“I just- feel weird around Darian right now. You’re saying that he needs more time but I just can’t believe it. He’s giving me the cold shoulder and I feel like he’s looking at me with hatred. I don’t want him to hate me, Dirk.” Kayden muttered, averting his Jade-green eyes away from the other.

“Hey, hey, don’t think that way. Darian doesn’t hate you. He couldn’t hate you.” Dirk said, not fully knowing if he believed it as well. Even around Dirk, Darian refused to talk about Kayden and he shut down whenever the younger was around. It was strange behavior for the older vampire and the Texan desperately wanted answers, but didn’t know how to go about getting them.

Kayden nodded, not sure if he believed what Dirk was saying. What if the other vampire was simply trying to placate him? It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d been placated, but he sincerely hoped Dirk wouldn’t be the one to do so. Still, the vampire kept quiet, resting his forehead against Dirk’s chest, not bothering to listen for a heartbeat as he knew there was nothing there. Vampires didn’t have heartbeats- their hearts had died along with their mortality.

He moved back, trying not to think of Dirk in such a way. While Strider was a vampire, he still had compassion and was most definitely capable of love; he believed Darian was as well. The vampire wanted to slap himself for thinking the way he had.

“I’ll be right back,” he told the Texan before standing and flitting out of the room and to another empty bedroom down the hall. He took a few deep breaths as he leaned against the plain white wall, sinking down and wrapping his arms around his legs. Kayden knew he would need a release, though he wasn’t sure what.

It then dawned on him: Singing. Of course, singing was the one thing that made him forget all of his problems. But would it work?

Kayden decided to test it out, closing his eyes and trying to put a melody in his head. It took a few moments, but he finally grasped one. As the melody played in his head, the vampire thought up lyrics regarding how he was feeling. So many emotions were flying through him, he didn’t know which to choose.

 _“If I told you what I was, would you turn your back on me?”_ The vampire began, knowing just how angry his voice sounded, but not caring. It was how he was going to burn off everything he was feeling. It was how he was going to take all of his negative emotions and turn them into something else.

“ _And if I seem dangerous, would you be scared?_ ” Kayden closed his eyes, beginning to lose himself in the sound of his voice. “ _I get the feeling just because, everything isn’t dark enough that this problem lies in me._ ” He took a small break, waiting for the right moment to continue, however before he could, the sound of the door to his left opening caused his eyes to open.

Kayden looked over and his stomach dropped when he saw Darian. The eldest vampire looked sheepish, almost like he didn’t quite know what he was doing there. His eyes were hitting everywhere in the room, except the younger’s face.

“I still can’t get over how beautiful your voice is, Kayden.” The vampire whispered, his voice was soft and kind, which was something the other wasn’t used to. His first guess was that Dirk had put him up to coming in and saying something, but Kayden knew Dirk wouldn’t do such a thing. He didn’t like to get involved with petty problems.

The younger vampire shrugged, his own Jade-green eyes moving to the floor as he became slightly uncomfortable. Why would Darian suddenly decide to approach him? It seemed he was trying to make amends, but Kayden just wasn’t sure.

The eldest vampire cleared his throat before taking a few steps toward Kayden. The smaller vampire tensed, which was clear to Darian, who stopped walking and instead crossed his arms over his chest.

“Look, I do apologize for what I said to you and how I reacted when you approached me. I also apologize for the way I have been acting the past few days, I realize now that it probably took a toll on you as you have not shown your face much.” The vampire spoke, his voice sounding almost unsure.

Kayden looked up at the other, trying to meet his eyes. He didn’t understand what it was that brought Darian to apologize. Had he really just realized how shitty he was acting around Kayden? Did Dirk really say something to him? Despite being curious, the vampire decided not to question it for longer than necessary. Darian was apologizing and that’s all he needed.

“I forgive you and I’m sorry for approaching you in the manner that I did.” Kayden responded, truly feeling bad for the way he had acted.

Darian smiled softly, relief filling his face for a brief moment before turning serious once again. He knew that Kayden deserved to know what happened in the past, Dirk was definitely right about that. The eldest vampire was simply nervous as to how the other would react. Darian Ampora always tried to keep his past tight-lipped, but if he wanted to become friends with the other, he _had_ to put his trust into him.

He took a few more steps toward Kayden, kneeling when he was close enough. The vampire looked down, trying to figure out exactly how to start.

“You were right, though, I did withhold information from you but I promise that I did so for a reason,” Darian began. Kayden’s head turned to the side, a confused look taking over his eyes, though he didn’t speak. “Marissa Serket is not only the one that turned me, but also the one that practically ruined my life- or rather, afterlife. When I was first turned, she left me on my own. I destroyed many towns and was going for cities when your mother found me. She helped me; raised me as if I had been a child.” He paused, watching Kayden’s reactions.

The younger was still quite confused at why Darian was speaking about his past, but he listened closely, still excited to hear more about him- though he was sure the part of his life that was being told wouldn’t be too happy or exciting.

“When Rosa finally let me go off on my own, the first vampire I ran into was Marissa. She hated who I had become and how independent I was. She wanted me to need her, but I didn’t. I only drank from criminals, which pissed her off further. So she threatened me.” Darian sighed, remembering that night clearly. While he was independent, he still feared her. Marissa Serket was powerful- too powerful for her own good.

Kayden’s eyes widened as he heard that Darian had been threatened. He could see a flicker of fear in his eyes, which made the younger nervous. He couldn’t see Darian being fearful of anyone and knowing he was was hard to think about.

“She said that she would check on me again in three-hundred years to see if I was still the same I was at that point in time. If I am… well, to put it in less words- she would put a stake through my heart. Marissa doesn’t have time for weaklings and she views those that don’t feed on innocent humans weak.” Darian muttered, his voice growing quieter and quieter as he finished speaking.

The younger vampire wasn’t sure how to feel about what Marissa had said. To be frank, it scared him. Why would she kill those that were doing the right thing? What was the point in killing innocents instead of criminals? Kayden decided to speak his mind, wanting answers.

“Why would she want to kill innocents? Doesn’t she care about taking the criminals out of the world?” He asked.

Darian laughed, a dry sound that saw no humor in what the other had said. “She is a criminal herself, Kayden. Marissa doesn’t give a damn; as long as your blood tastes good.”

Kayden looked away, trying not to think about that. Candace and Marissa were evil; did that make Rosa evil as well? Was she just putting on a kind and loving face to get the trust of others before ultimately turning her back on them? No, if that would have been her, she would’ve killed Darian as soon as she found him.

“So what are you going to do if she comes looking for you?” Kayden asked, knowing thinking about it probably wouldn’t sit well with Darian, especially if he had kept what Marissa said from the younger in the beginning, but Kayden wanted to know. He wanted to know Darian’s plan of action- if there was one.

“I’m going to fight,” he said simply before standing and stretching his legs out. “I’m going to fight and beat her. She has no control over me, Kayden. I am stronger than her.” Darian wasn’t sure if he believed it himself, but it was what he _liked_ to think. In all reality, he knew that the second he tried to overpower Marissa, she would rip his head off, but not before driving a stake through his heart.

He was afraid of her.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Kayden sang is 'Take Me to Church' by Hozier.

Dirk rested his hands on either side of his bathroom sink, looking at himself in the mirror. He had taken his shades off and set them to the side. The vampire looked into his own eyes- bright orange. Dirk remembered when he first looked at himself in the mirror after he’d been turned. His first thought had been fear before the self-hatred hit. Since then, the Texan had gotten used to them, choosing not to show them and instead wearing a pair of black pointed sunglasses.

The vampire took a deep breath, looking away. He’d been woken up by a dream- or rather a nightmare. It had been him and Kayden standing together with Marissa across from them. The eldest had used her mind control powers and forced Dirk to stab the other. He woke up crying with sweat dripping from his face.

Dirk ran a hand down his face, turning the tap on once more to wash himself off and try to forget the dream. It had been Marissa that turned him as well, though he tried not to tell anyone that. She got to him when he was his weakest and mind-controlled him to trust her. When he did, that’s when she sunk her teeth into his neck, letting him die alone, left to learn everything on his own.

Luckily the vampire had been a fast learner. He’d only destroyed one town before training himself to calm down enough to only take one human at a time and not give in to the killer within. Once his self-training was complete, he then tried to break his submissive nature, as he had been just like Kayden. It took five years, but finally it was broken. Blood, sweat, and tears had gone into everything Dirk had done, but he was proud of how far he’d come.

He hoped Kayden would stick with everything he had learned and never forget everything it took to get him where he was. The younger vampire still had ways to go, but he was learning quickly. Dirk was proud of him, though it was hard for him to admit such things as it had always been difficult for him to give praise when needed. That had been something his little brother, Dave, always got onto him about.

Dirk turned away from the mirror, trying not to think about Dave or training. He wanted to empty his mind, or to only think about Kayden. His feelings for the other had definitely strengthened since he realized there was _something_ there. Dirk found it was hard to not think about him; the vampire’s supple frame, messy black hair, gorgeous Jade eyes. Everything about him screamed perfection in Dirk’s eyes, which was strange as he’d never thought of anyone in such a way.

The vampire stood up straighter and turned around to grab his shades, avoiding his reflection in the mirror. Dirk had made his decision, the decision that had been on his mind for a few weeks by that point. He was going to ask Kayden Vantas to be his boyfriend. It was something that Dirk had never actually done before. Sure, he’d had flings, but nothing more than that. There had never been a point in Dirk Strider’s life where he had to ask someone out.

He picked up his cellphone, opening it up and scrolling to Kayden’s name. However, he found himself hesitating, almost like he wasn’t so sure of himself. The blonde sighed loudly before sitting down on his dark brown sofa, biting his thumbnail. Was he developing butterflies? What on Earth was going on inside him? It wasn’t that hard to ask someone out, was it?

A low growl began forming in the vampire’s throat as he looked at his phone, determined to call Kayden and ask him on a date, perhaps things would go better if he asked the younger in person if they wanted to be boyfriends.

Dirk pressed the green ‘Call’ button before holding the phone up to his ear. If his heart had still been pumping, it would’ve been working in overtime. However, the only thing there was the obvious warmth of whatever it was Dirk felt for Kayden. It was refreshing to feel but also scary, as he was afraid he’d fuck something up between him and the other.

“Hello?” Kayden answered, the hint of a laugh on the edge of his voice. Dirk wondered who he had been talking to. Darian? Perhaps one of the Nitrams or Regina? What was about to be said before Dirk called? Was a joke already established?

Dirk shook his head, trying to focus on the situation at hand. He needed to ask Kayden out.

“Hey, it’s Dirk.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kayden chuckled, a light, lovely sound that came from within his chest.

“I was just wondering if, uh, you wanted to go out tonight.” Dirk said, wanting to hit himself in the face at the realization that he was being entirely too awkward.

The younger vampire sucked in a breath at the other end, “I’m sorry, Dirk. It’s Tuesday.”

“So?” Dirk asked, growing confused. He hoped Kayden wasn’t going to blow him off with a bullshit excuse. He knew he wouldn’t be able to handle something like that.

“Tuesday is open mic night at the café in town. I usually perform with Rufioh and since my bloodlust isn’t strong, I figured I’d give it a go tonight. If you wanted to you could come! Darian, Regina, and the other Nitrams are.” Kayden said, his voice growing excited toward the end.

Dirk found himself slightly disappointed, but knowing he could still work with that. He only hoped Kayden wouldn’t mind being put on the spot- though why would he? Especially if he was a performer.

“Yeah, I’d love to go, Kayden.” Dirk responded, the corners of his mouth tugging up in a smile.

“Awesome! It starts at seven tonight, so it’s best to arrive by six. I have to go, though. Rufioh and I are working on a few songs.” Kayden quickly spoke into the phone, not giving Dirk time to say goodbye before the line went dead.

The Texan lowered the phone from his ear before formulating a plan in his mind, trying to figure out just what he was going to do for the other during open mic. He found himself growing excited due to the fact that he would get to see Kayden perform for the first time and the fact that he would hopefully make the vampire’s night by asking him out.

Dirk looked at the time, seeing that it was already noon and he hadn’t eaten. He cursed softly, knowing dinner would have to be quick; but he absolutely hated fast food. The vampire, changed his clothes, donning a black t-shirt and black jeans, knowing such a neutral color would be able to hide the blood well.

The vampire deemed himself good enough for hunting and headed out, flitting to the alleyway outside of a bar. The sky was just beginning to darken, which would make things easier. Dirk absolutely hated hunting during the day, everything was much too obvious and he wasn’t completely confident in not getting caught by someone. The Texan lost himself when he fed, which meant he wasn’t on guard in terms of making sure no one was around.

Still, he scoped out the area and made sure no one was around, taking a deep breath before going inside the bar. Already, the place was booming with activity. Dirk found it funny that a Christian town had so many drinkers. The sinners were strong.

He looked around, making sure no one he knew was in the bar alongside him before taking off his shades. Due to the unnatural coloration of his eyes, Dirk was able to read people’s minds. It was quite difficult to do so with other vampires, but it was a walk in the park with humans.

Dirk looked at everyone in turn, his eyes finally landing on a woman with long, blonde hair. Her lips were covered with a plum lipstick, eyes looking mysterious with smoky eye shadow around them. All-in-all, she looked like bad news and from what was on her mind she _was_ bad news. She had just murdered all her children and got dressed up to go out. Dirk wanted to spit in her direction, but instead decided to make a meal out of her. The world didn’t need women like her around.

He placed his shades back over his eyes, not wanting to hear anymore thoughts in his head, and headed over to the woman, trying to make himself seem taller than his already giant height, though he supposed 6’ wasn’t considered giant.

The vampire reached the woman, leaning on the bar next to her and putting on his most sickly sweet smile, trying to win the female over. However, he found that he wasn’t a pro at this as it was hard ‘hitting’ on a woman whilst being gay, though Dirk knew he had to do it if he wanted to survive, plus no one else in the bar had done anything wrong. They were all innocent.

“Hey there, pretty lady.” Dirk said, making sure his accent wasn’t held back. He’d heard women say they absolutely loved accents, no matter what they were and this woman seemed that type.

A smile found itself on her features as she turned toward the male, “Hey, hot stuff.” She gave him a once-over, definitely liking what she saw.

“I couldn’t help but notice how lonely you look. Why don’t you come back to my place, babe?” He asked, resting a hand on his hip, though automatically regretted it. Didn’t gay men do that? Shit.

The woman chuckled, “What aren’t you going to buy me dinner first?” She stopped speaking as if thinking about what she had just asked, “You know what? Fuck it, tonight’s the night to make bad decisions.” She downed the rest of her drink before setting a ten on the bar and grabbing her things.

Dirk pushed himself away from the bar and headed to the back door that lead into the alley, “My car is parked back here.”

The woman nodded, “Sounds good to me. What’s your name anyway?” The blonde asked as she stepped out the door that Dirk had held open for her.

The vampire stayed silent until the door had closed behind them with a clang, almost like a death bell sounding. “It doesn’t matter, you know, since I’m going to kill you. Just like you murdered your children. What were their names again? Oh yeah, Seth, Arnie, Abigal, and Hana.” Usually Dirk didn’t like playing with his food, but this woman deserved it. She had killed innocent children; children that hadn’t even gotten to get out and see the world.

A look of horror filled the woman’s face, “H-how did you know?”

“I can read minds,” Dirk said as he let the monster within take control, his eyes going from orange to red, fangs protruding, and claws extending.

The woman looked as if she were about to laugh until her eyes caught his teeth extending. She opened her mouth to scream, however Dirk was on her in a matter of seconds, covering her mouth with his hand as he leaned down, biting into her neck. He didn’t let any of the precious blood get away as he automatically began drinking. Dirk’s eyes fell closed as he held the woman tight, letting go of his humanity as he did so. The sour blood filled his mouth- it tasted repulsive, but it was enough to fill his needs.

He drank until there wasn’t a hint of blood left. Dirk stood, grabbing the body with ease and disposing of it in a dumpster, knowing Regina or the vampire that was also in the police force would take care of it. He then pulled out his phone, cursing when he saw it was already four thirty and he still needed to get ready.

The vampire flitted back to his apartment, taking his clothes off as soon as he walked in the door. Dirk headed to the bathroom, turning the shower on and waiting for it to heat up. He took a quick shower before getting ready for open mic night, planning exactly how he was going to do everything. Dirk would wait until Kayden was done performing before walking up to him and kissing him, only to pull away and ask if he wanted to do the honors of being Dirk’s boyfriend.

Dirk hoped Kayden would say yes, as it would definitely be embarrassing if he didn’t, especially if Darian would be there as well. However, Darian had accepted the fact that Kayden didn’t share a bond with him and probably wouldn’t ever. Dirk no longer felt bad about it either.

The Texan put on a white tank top, black skinny jeans, and a black hoodie. Of course, he wasn’t completely dressed up, but he wasn't too casual either. He then looked in the mirror, using gel to make his blonde hair spike up before placing his shades over his eyes and heading to the café. It was ten to six, which made him slightly frantic as he didn’t want to miss a moment of Kayden performing.

Dirk exited his apartment, locking up behind him before looking around, making sure no one was watching as he flitted to the café, stopping behind the back door. The vampire cleared his throat and took a deep breath, nervous about what he was going to do, but excited to see his crush. The Texan swore he probably seemed like a ten year old in love with someone way out of his league, but he couldn’t help himself. There were feelings there; chemistry, and he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

The vampire walked into the packed café, his eyes automatically landing on a table that sat Darian, Regina, Tavros, and Sage. They looked like outcasts compared to the young, hipster looking teens that resided in the building. Dirk shook his head before heading over, sitting at the table with the others.

“You guys need to lighten up. Y’all look like you’ve got sticks up your asses.” Dirk commented, making himself comfortable.

“Nice to see you too, Dirk,” Darian muttered with a roll of his eyes. This made Dirk smirk.

“I usually don’t fancy scenes like this, but Rufioh and Kayden wanted me here tonight, so I left my duties to do so. I will admit that I do feel bad as I haven’t seen my sons perform once.” Sage said, seemingly talking to himself until his blue eyes flitted to Dirk and then back to the stage.

The Texan nodded before throwing his hands up, his own eyes moving to the stage. It looked like a group had just exited, as the instruments looked freshly used. Dirk wondered who had gone on beforehand.

Suddenly, an excitable looking woman jumped on the stage, a broad smile almost taking up her entire face. Dirk leaned back slightly, not expecting to see someone like her in the café, as she _definitely_ didn’t fit the scene. She looked the type to be out partying with her friends and hooking up with men twenty years older than herself.

“Alright everyone, you just heard Rod and The Pretzels! Now, get ready for Kayden and Rufioh!” She clapped her hands together like a seal performing tricks for fish. Dirk found himself extremely annoyed by her presence and wanted her to get off the stage so he’d be able to see Kayden.

Finally, she took her leave and two males entered. Rufioh’s face had a look of concentration as he sat down with his guitar and began tuning it. He didn’t look at the crowd as he did so, not that they minded as it seemed that in between sets people did their own thing and talked amongst themselves. Kayden, on the other hand, did a few mic checks, tapping on it before speaking into it.

Dirk couldn’t ignore the fact that Kayden’s voice sounded so sure, so confident on the stage. He stood with his back straight, a sure look on his face. He did a few more mic checks before looking at Rufioh as if asking for the ready. The Latino nodded with a smile, straightening his guitar on his knee as he finally looked at the full café.

“Hey everyone, I’m Kayden Vantas and this is Rufioh Nitram, but all of you should know that by now.” The male gave everyone a confident look as a few of the people cheered, holding their drinks up or clapping their hands. “We’ve got a few new songs tonight, so without further ado…” He lowered his head as Rufioh began playing and the lights in the café dimmed.

Dirk’s eyes stayed glued to the stage, not leaving Kayden. He was like a completely different person standing up there and the Texan just couldn’t get over it.

The younger vampire closed his Jade eyes, mouth opening as he began to sing, “ _My lover’s got humor. She’s the giggle at a funeral; knows everybody’s disapproval, should’ve worshipped her sooner._ ”

Dirk’s mouth fell open at the sound of the others voice. He couldn’t get over just how professional it sounded, how… magical it sounded. The vampire sucked in a breath as Kayden continued, not missing a beat.

“ _If the Heavens ever did speak, she is the last truth mouthpiece. Every Sunday’s getting more bleak; a fresh poison each week._ ”

Dirk wondered where the lyrics had come from. When had Kayden written them? He tore his eyes away from Kayden to look around the table, realizing everyone there was also mesmerized by the vampire’s voice. They couldn’t tear their gazes away either. Regina and Tavros wore smiles, proud of the two while Darian’s eyes showed nothing but love for Kayden. Sage kept his face quite masked, not willing to let any emotions through.

The Texan shook his head before looking away, his eyes moving back to the stage.

“ _The only Heaven I’ll be sent to, is when I’m alone with you. I was born sick, but I love it. Command me to be well. Amen… Amen… Amen… Take me to Church! I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies. I’ll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife. Offer me that deathless death. Good God let me give you my life!_ ” Kayden’s eyes opened as he looked right at Dirk, a smile creeping onto his features as he swayed to the music, his voice not faltering in the slightest.

Dirk, on the other hand, felt his palms grow sweaty, his chest tightening. He was in love. He was so deep in love that he almost couldn’t stand it. In fact, before he knew what he was doing, the vampire stood up, walking up to the stage. Kayden gave him a confused look, but kept singing nonetheless. The Texan reached the edge of the stage, simply staring up at the other for a moment, before he began climbing. His mind was empty save for one thought; kiss Kayden. He couldn’t help it and he certainly didn’t know what had come over him.

Once the Texan was onstage Kayden stopped singing, covering the mic with his hand to ask Dirk what he was doing, however, he wasn’t able to get a single word out before Dirk’s mouth was over his, lips pressing against the younger’s. The kiss was needy, but full of passion.

Kayden’s eyes stayed open for a moment before falling closed, his hand fell off the mic as he put his arms around the others slightly muscular frame, trying to pull him closer, however Dirk had other plans. He pulled away before leaning in, near Kayden’s ear.

“Kayden Vantas, will you be my boyfriend?” He asked.

The younger vampire’s face flushed and he nodded, a grin lighting up his features as he pulled the other close again, kissing him harder and with more need.

Dirk held onto the other, not bothering to pay attention as the patrons of the café began cheering. He found himself confused for a moment as he wasn’t sure why they would be cheering if they resided in the town of the Lord, however he remembered that Kayden had talked up the café before; it was a place of acceptance and everyone there was _happy_ for them. There wasn’t hate or judgment, just love and happiness.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Darian awoke in his bed, the fact that he was alone dawning on him as he stretched. He’d been having dreams of Kayden and what he would be like to sleep next to his form, feel the chubby vampire against him. However, the eldest knew it would never happen. Kayden was with Dirk and while Darian was happy that Kayden found someone that truly made him happy, the vampire couldn’t hide the jealousy and venom he held toward Dirk. He hated acted like a child about it, but Dirk surely wasn’t being fair.

Darian knew just how silly that sounded, though. There wasn’t such a thing as being fair when it came to love, especially with someone like Kayden; a being full of love, too much almost. The fact was, he had to get over the infatuation he had with the younger vampire. Darian had to forget about it and quell the heat in his chest; no matter how impossible that feat might be.

The vampire got out of bed, his feet shuffling on the floor as he moved to the bathroom, taking a quick shower before putting on a fresh suit; violet, with a black tie. He then slicked his hair back with gel and shaved. Once he was ready, he looked at himself in the mirror, studying the tie. Darian picked it up and took a closer look before deciding he didn’t want to wear black; he wanted to wear red.

Kayden’s favorite color.

He knew that if Dirk saw him wearing the tie, he’d get pissed off. Both Strider and Ampora were possessive about what was theirs, though the latter knew Kayden wouldn’t appreciate being viewed as someone’s possession. Still, Darian changed his tie to one that was red and silk. It had been quite an expensive buy, but very worth it.

Darian then walked to Kayden’s room, noticing the door was ajar. He was just about to knock when Kayden pulled the door open, freezing when he saw the other. The eldest vampire couldn’t help but notice just how cute the smaller looked. It was obvious he had just woken up as his black hair was sticking up every which way, jade eyes bleary with sleep still in the corners, and his clothes wrinkled.

The vampire was about to smile and say something witty, though it died on his tongue when Dirk showed up behind him, looking equally as tired. Darian tried not to scoff as he simply nodded at the two before walking away quickly downstairs.

He hated how Dirk had made a show out of asking Kayden out the night prior. It had been Kayden and Rufioh’s night, but Dirk had to ruin it. Though at the same time, he couldn’t help but to think about just how cute Kayden had been when Dirk kissed him. The younger vampire had looked completely flustered, almost like he didn’t know what to do for a few seconds. After he agreed to be Dirk’s boyfriend, Kayden continued performing; his focus off for the rest of it.

Darian would never have done that to Kayden, he would have waited until the set was done before approaching the other, instead of going up while he was performing. It was rude and inconsiderate, not only to the performers, but to the people watching the show.

The vampire shook his head, knowing he would get himself riled up if he kept thinking about the night before, though he just couldn’t help thinking about the annoyance he felt. While there was a part of him that was certainly happy for Kayden and the fact that he had found someone, he just didn’t think things would work out between him and Dirk. Darian thought about telling the younger vampire just that, however bit his tongue. The vampire couldn’t do something like that; he wouldn’t allow it.

Darian moved to the island in the kitchen, sitting down on one of the bar stools and sighing. He wanted to hang out with Kayden, but knew that it wouldn’t be possible, especially if Dirk was in the house as well. He could already feel their friendship crumbling once again; Darian knew he would need to get out.

The vampire stood, preparing to head out the door when Kayden came down the stairs. He had changed- wearing a blue t-shirt and black jeans- his hair was slightly tamed, but not much, his eyes looked to be much brighter than before, signaling the fact that he had actually woken up fully instead of being in the stage of a zombie.

“Hey, Darian. Dirk and I are going to go out and I was wondering if you’d want to come along,” Kayden said, a smiling pulling up the corners of his lips.

Darian found himself taken aback. Had Dirk put the other male up to it or was Kayden inviting him out from the goodness of his heart? Despite what the answer was, the vampire decided he wasn’t going to try to say no, instead he nodded, returning Kayden’s smile.

“I would love to, Kayden. Thank you for the invitation,” he responded.

The younger nodded, “Of course, Darian. I need to finish getting ready and then get Dirk’s ass in gear. We’ll be going out to eat and then heading to the mall. I hope you don’t mind that.”

“Not at all,” Darian muttered, though he actually hated going out to eat. He was a vampire, so of course he didn’t need to. Still, he couldn’t imagine how excited Kayden was about it, especially since he was making great progress with controlling his bloodlust.

Kayden went back upstairs as Darian stayed where he was, wondering what Dirk would say if the elder tried pulling any moves on Kayden. Would he try to start a fight? Darian wasn’t sure if he _would_ actually try anything- it was a curious thought, though.

Eventually, Kayden and Dirk came down the stairs. Darian couldn’t help but notice how disappointedly the latter carried himself. It made the eldest want to laugh out loud at the fact that he was coming along.

“Come on, guys,” Kayden said, sounding genuinely happy. The warmth in Darian’s chest flared up, signaling the Soul Bond wasn’t going away anytime soon due to the fact that it flared up even when Kayden wasn’t touching him. There was something there, why hadn’t the younger figured that out yet? They had moved past their arguments and things were better, so what was the deal?

Dirk and Darian followed the other outside, Kayden beginning to lead the way to Dirk’s car, however Darian snorted.

“No, I refuse to get into that piece of trash,” Darian said, raising a brow.

“Good, then you can stay,” Dirk responded, venom dripping from his voice.

“ _Or_ we could go in Darian’s car. It’s bigger,” Kayden said, looking at Dirk pointedly. Darian caught this and began wondering if it had instead been Kayden that set everything up. What was he trying to accomplish? If anything? Darian wanted to ask the younger, but found it probably wouldn’t be a good idea, especially if Dirk didn’t quite know what was going on.

“Wow, what a fuckin’ great idea!” Dirk exclaimed in mock excitement, his Texan accent shining through brightly, though Darian couldn’t give him a hard time, as his Scottish accent shone through when he was angry.

Kayden simply rolled his eyes and headed toward Darian’s car. The vampire couldn’t believe how much Dirk and the younger weren’t getting along so early on in the relationship. They hadn’t even been dating a day and they were already acting like they were on the verge of breaking up. While there was excitement there, Darian felt bad for Kayden. He hadn’t had a happy relationship since Gataki and even she treated him like he was nothing.

Darian wanted to reach out to the younger and hold him close, but knew that wouldn’t go well with Dirk, especially since he was already in such a touchy mood. If the eldest vampire had had anything planned, he knew he would need to drop them as the wrong move could set off Dirk, which was both annoying and funny as Hell. The simple fact that Darian had been invited to come along got that kind of reaction from Dirk was hilarious. The jealousy was clear, then again, Darian was sure his jealousy was shining through as well, though they both wondered if Kayden could sense their feelings.

The vampires climbed into the car; Darian and Kayden in the front while Dirk sat in the backseat. If possible, the eldest vampire could sense Dirk grow even angrier. He could tell the Texan wanted to explode, but had enough respect for Kayden so he didn’t. Darian wasn’t sure he knew exactly what he was doing, though he was having a lot of fun in the moment. Taunting Dirk definitely wasn’t a boring time.

Kayden was beginning to grow slightly uncomfortable as he felt the mood change. Or rather, he had felt the mood change the moment he told Dirk that Darian was coming along as well. He hadn’t realized it was meant to be date, plus Darian had looked so upset that he couldn’t bear to leave him alone- the Ampora would have been on his mind all day if that had happened. So Dirk gave in, knowing there would be other dates.

Dirk’s mind changed as soon as he laid eyes on Darian and saw just how smug he looked. It made him angry; no, it made him want to lash out and rip Darian’s head off, though he knew Kayden wouldn’t be too appreciative of that. Instead of arguing about it, Dirk had decided to placate his boyfriend, knowing it was for the best, especially since he was so new to relationships- well, both of them were. It was a learning experience. Though, Darian was definitely getting in the way.

“So where are we headed?” Darian asked, his eyes flicking in the rearview mirror, laughter in his eyes that made Dirk fume.

“It’s up to Kayden,” Dirk muttered, shifting his eyes to the window as he watched the scenery roll by quickly.

The younger vampire stammered before seeming to decide on something, “Olive Garden?” He then looked back at his boyfriend with a small smile, though it faltered when he noticed the look on the Texan’s face. Kayden reached a hand back, resting it on Dirk’s knee for a moment, though the other didn’t take his eyes away from the view outside.

Had he done something wrong? Kayden felt a pang from within, signaling the fun was about to stop and turn into drama. All he’d wanted was a small get-together with his boyfriend and friend. What was the harm in that?

The three sat in silence until they reached the restaurant and Kayden decided to speak up, noticing the tie Darian had worn. Red, his favorite color. The vampire didn’t put two-and-two together, so without even thinking about it, he decided to say something about it.

“I like your tie, Darian. Red is m-“

“Your favorite color, yes, I know.” Darian flashed a smile as he parked the car, turning the engine off and removing his seatbelt.

Dirk tried not to scoff at the eldest vampire’s reactions, knowing good and well what he was trying to do. He was trying to play it off like wearing the tie was an accident, but he had been caught. He _knew_ red was Kayden’s color and he had said so just then, however the latter simply wasn’t picking up on it, or perhaps he had been and Dirk was very wrong. Though if he had picked up on it, why would he play along? What was the point? Unless Kayden was just trying to get to him. What if the jade-eyed vampire had only said yes to Dirk to save him the embarrassment and planned to break up with him as soon as possible? The vampire felt his heart begin to break at the simple thought.

Darian looked up at the establishment, his nose wrinkling, “You know, it’s good vampires don’t actually have a weakness against garlic, otherwise I’d be on the floor right about now. My God, that stench is strong!”

Kayden chuckled, unbuckling his seatbelt, “I’m glad we don’t, I’d be dead due to garlic consumption.”

The vampire laughed and noticed Kayden moving to open the door. Realizing what he was doing, Darian flitted out, moving to the passenger side and opening the door for Kayden.

The young vampire looked quite taken aback as he looked around, making sure nobody saw Darian suddenly appear in front of him. Luckily, they were the only ones outside at that point in time, however he couldn’t be sure about the people inside Olive Garden, as they had front row seats to what had happened.

Kayden was so worried about whether or not someone had seen Darian flit that he didn’t notice Dirk get out of the car, moving to Darian and pushing him away. The Texan had snapped and the outcome wasn’t going to be good.

The youngest snapped out of it when he heard Darian’s growl. He shook his head, looking up to see Darian and Dirk standing close to one another. There was an obvious fire in Darian’s eyes, though he wasn’t so sure about Dirk’s due to his shades. However just by the way the vampire was standing, Kayden knew he meant business.

Kayden stood up quickly, moving in between the males before things got out of hand, “Guys! Please calm down. Maybe we should just go home. There’s no need to fight.”

Darian suddenly grabbed Kayden’s hand, holding it up to his chest, “Kayden, please tell me you feel it. Tell me you feel _something_.” The vampire sounded desperate and it made the younger feel like shit because he just didn’t feel anything. There was nothing he could do about it.

“I-I’m sorry, but I don’t.” Kayden whispered in return, watching something break within Darian’s eyes. The eldest vampire nodded, spitting toward Dirk before moving back to his car, climbing in, starting it and driving off.

“Why in the fuck did you lie?” Dirk growled as Kayden watched the taillights of Darian’s car disappear into the night.

The younger became confused, “What do you mean? How did I lie?”

“Don’t fuckin’ play stupid, Kayden. I know you feel somethin’ with him,” Dirk responded with a shake of his head.

Kayden could have snorted if the situation weren’t so serious, “Are you fucking kidding me? You actually think I have something going on with Darian?”

“Yeah, I do. Why else would you have invited him on the date?” Dirk asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s because of the fact that he was alone and there was something… wrong, I don’t know, with him. I wanted to help him, Dirk,” Kayden responded, glaring at the other and he was sure Dirk was returning the look.

Dirk shook his head, almost as if he couldn’t believe Kayden would invite someone to dinner.

“Dirk, I’ve been cheated on, why the fuck would I do that to someone else when I know what it feels like?” Kayden asked, his voice low and angry, which was something Dirk hadn’t heard much of.

The Texan looked around, realizing they were still in public. He shook his head, not wanting to have a conversation with Kayden in front of Olive Garden. Dirk was fine having a go at Darian, but he couldn’t even comprehend the thought of doing that to Kayden, especially not in public.

“Come on Kayden, let’s get out of here and continue this in private,” he muttered as a couple walked by, staring at the two as they did so.

Dirk grabbed Kayden’s arm, ready to lead him, however he felt… nothing. There was nothing. The warmth in his chest was gone. Kayden had obviously felt it too as his jade eyes widened and he looked up at Dirk’s face.

“It’s gone,” he whispered.

The Texan shook his head in disbelief before touching Kayden’s chest, but there was still nothing. The Soul Bond was gone.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Dirk paced back and forth quickly in his small living room, not paying attention to anything as he did so, not even Kayden who sat quietly on his couch, biting his thumbnail and thinking. Neither of them knew what had happened, but they did know something needed to be done about it. They needed to know what happened to the Soul Bond, though Dirk had never heard of a case happening where the Soul Bond was there and then gone within a matter of a few weeks. Soul Bonds were for life.

“Dirk, maybe we could ask someone,” Kayden whispered, trying his best to keep himself under control. The Texan’s behavior was honestly starting to scare him to the point that he didn’t want to be around the other. His chest felt cold, as any warmth that had been there was gone, just as the warmth in Dirk’s chest was as well.

“Who? Who could we possibly ask, Kayden?” Dirk asked, freezing in place as he turned toward the other, “There’s never been a case like this. Soul Bonds don’t just disappear.” He didn’t like snapping at the other but he couldn’t help himself. He thought he had found the one, but the feelings were gone. Was it Darian that had torn them apart? Anger erupted from within and the Texan closed his eyes, trying to will the negative feelings away.

The younger looked away, biting his bottom lip as he lost himself in thought. How could he try to figure out why the Bond disappeared if he didn’t know much of anything about the new world around him? He hadn’t even known Soul Bonds were real when he was living out his life as a human.

“Maybe we just need to work on the relationship? Start over? We didn’t really get a chance to be friends, Dirk. We just kind of jumped into all of this,” Kayden whispered, looking up at Dirk after a few moment of silence.

The Texan grimaced, not wanting to hear Kayden say such things, though it dawned on him that the younger vampire somehow had other motives. Why would he just give up on them? Was there really something going on with Darian? Something Dirk simply wasn’t aware of?

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, though the only thing there was trying to convince Kayden to stay. The other couldn’t just leave him, especially when everything was so new. Dirk simply wouldn’t let him go, not without at first trying to rekindle the Bond that was there.

Without really thinking about it, Dirk moved to Kayden, gripping the younger’s wrists and holding them at his side, “No. No starting over or any of that bullshit. This has to work out, Kayden. It fuckin’ has to.” He looked down at the other almost helplessly before leaning forward and pressing his lips against Kayden’s roughly.

The younger pushed Dirk away, his jade eyes wide with surprise and slight fear. He wasn’t sure what Dirk was trying to play at, but Kayden didn’t like it.

“Dirk, sometimes you have to realize that there are relationships that just won’t work. It isn’t anyone’s fault. Maybe this just really wasn’t meant to be.” Kayden whispered, resting a hand on Dirk’s cool chest to keep him away. Though there was a part of him that was feeling for a sign, or something, that the Bond was still there and they were simply stressed out due to the blow up from earlier.

“We’re vampires, Kayden. This isn’t human romance bullshit. If there’s a Soul Bond it’s supposed to work out for eternity,” Dirk growled, though his voice was beginning to waver.

Kayden wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, as Dirk had begun leaning in again. He moved his head to the side, avoiding Dirk’s lips.

“Why are you fighting this, Kayden?”

“Because, if something isn’t meant to be, we shouldn’t force it! Something happened earlier that caused the Soul Bond to dissipate, we shouldn’t argue with it, Dirk. Now stop this, please!” Tears gathered in Kayden’s eyes as he held back a sob. He could feel just how hurt Dirk was and he hated it. He hated himself for making him feel the way he was. “I’m sorry.”

Dirk sank to his knees, the shades on his face sliding down his nose slightly. Tears filled his own eyes as he took a shaky breath, “Then what?”

Kayden brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his hands around his legs, though he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to sit in Dirk’s presence. He hated seeing the other so broken.

“We need to break up; call all of this off. Maybe something will happen in the future, maybe not,” Kayden answered, his voice soft as he looked away.

Dirk shook his head quickly, as if he couldn’t accept what Kayden was saying. He couldn’t accept the fact that he was being broken up with. He wanted to shout at Kayden, beg him to stay, beg him to keep trying to make them work. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t force Kayden to do a single damn thing.

He didn’t notice when the other got up, however he jolted when he felt Kayden’s hand on his shoulder. It was obvious he was trying to be comforting, but Dirk felt nothing and instead shrugged off the hand.

“Just leave, Kayden. Please.” Dirk whispered, a few tears spilling on his cheeks. He didn’t want to say it, but knew that if Kayden stuck around, it wouldn’t turn out good.

“Okay… I understand why, Dirk. I just- I’m sorry,” Kayden whispered.

With a slight change in air and the front door clicking, the younger was gone. Dirk took a deep breath before letting himself fall apart. He had never done such a thing before. He’d never lost himself over someone. Then again, he’d never had a potential Soul Bond that was crushed. The Texan blamed Darian, though knew nothing could be done about it, especially if Kayden did, in fact, love him. Dirk couldn’t do such a thing. He couldn’t do what Darian had done and tear two lovers apart.

The vampire stood, moving to the couch and collapsing, taking off his shades as he rubbed his eyes. He then turned on his side, closing his unnatural eyes and trying to sleep or find a safe place that escaped the pain he felt.

^^^

Kayden sat on Darian’s couch, trying to calm himself down. He was reminded of the divorce with Gataki. All the pain he had felt during and a while afterward. Though he was never truly happy in the relationship it still hurt. He still hated the fact that he had let him fall so quickly for her without even knowing how badly she treated him. Kayden only hoped Dirk wouldn’t be the type to spread nasty rumors about him.

The vampire sat waiting for the homeowner to return from a hunt- at least, Kayden assumed it was a hunt. He tried not to let his mind continue wandering to his past. Things were different, Dirk was different. There wouldn’t be nasty rumors or anything of the sort. It was mostly going to result in the two never speaking again, but that was fine with Kayden- at least he thought it was.

The front door handle jiggling signaled the return of Darian. Kayden sat up straight, keeping his shoulders back and focusing on what he was going to say. He wanted to tell Darian that the breakup was his fault, but was it? Or was it the fact that the relationship was doomed to end from the start? Despite what Dirk had said, breakups were a part of life.

Darian stepped inside the foyer, taking off his pea coat and walking to the living room, stopping abruptly when he saw Kayden. His grey eyes widened as he looked the other up and down, though concern soon graced his features.

“Kayden, what are you doing here? I figured you would be with Strider.” There was a part of Darian that wanted to apologize for the way he acted before, but found the words simply wouldn’t come out. Kayden definitely didn’t look good, which keyed Darian in on the fact that something must have happened, “Are you okay?”

“Dirk and I broke up, Darian. I can’t really say if I’m okay or not, but because of that I’ve come to the decision that I need to leave.” Kayden hadn’t exactly been planning on leaving, but as soon as he saw the look that came across Darian’s face- the slight look of hope, Kayden knew he needed to get away from it all.

“You need to- leave?” The older vampire asked, his thick eyebrows furrowing.

“Yes. I don’t know where I’m going yet, but I just know that I can’t be here. I can’t be around this anymore, Darian. I need a breather. I- I need to figure out what I want to do now,” Kayden responded, trying to think through what he was saying.

Darian nodded, though he knew his face betrayed just how crushed he was by the news. He didn’t _want_ Kayden to leave, but knew that if the younger truly wanted to, he couldn’t be stopped.

“Okay, you do what you need to do, Kayden. Do you know how long you’ll be gone?”

“Not yet,” Kayden admitted, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips before his face turned serious. He looked up at the other, “You and Dirk should repair what you have- or had- too. When I come back, I want this feud to be over. More importantly, I don’t want to be in the middle of it again. It’s childish.”

Darian nodded, feeling ashamed of himself. He hadn’t exactly thought about just how much his actions were affecting Kayden.

The younger stood up, walking over to the other and opening up his arms. Darian looked him up and down with a confused expression. Why would Kayden want to hug him after everything he had done? Still, he couldn’t resist himself. He knew he was being selfish, but at that moment he didn’t care. Just touching Kayden made his chest flare up, almost like hot coals, though the pain was more like pleasure.

Eventually Kayden pulled away and Darian hoped there would be some sort of expression of love on his face- something that signaled he felt the Soul Bond, however there was nothing but a spark of sadness in his jade eyes.

“Tell Dirk I left and specify that it wasn’t his fault. It isn’t yours either, Darian. I just need some time, okay? I need to get out of here and see the world. I need to experience everything and come to terms with who I am and figure out what life has in store for me,” Kayden said, though he was half lying. While the drama between him, Dirk, and Darian hadn’t been the entire reason, it was certainly the breaking point, however Kayden didn’t want to admit that to Darian’s face, especially when he already looked so broken at the fact that he was leaving in the first place.

“Of course.” Darian said, moving away from the entrance. He noticed Kayden already had a bag packed for the trip, “Do you need money or anything?”

“No thank you, I cleared out my bank account,” The younger responded, offering a smile before picking up his bag, “This isn’t goodbye. I’ll be back.”

Darian could only nod before looking away, trying to hide all the emotions on his face. Kayden let out a small sigh before heading out the door. He stood on the platform for a moment, forcing himself to not look back before walking down the steps and heading to the one person that would come with him on his trip. Regina.

He didn’t let his mind wander to Dirk or Darian as he walked, instead looking around. The small town of Franklin- the place he had resided in his entire life. The place his father died, he got married and then divorced, the place where his life ended only to begin again. Franklin had a different air about it, however. It wasn’t the same as it had been. There were monsters that went bump in the night; the monsters he had always been told didn’t exist- and now he was one of them. Things had most definitely changed.

Kayden eventually ended up at Regina’s doorstep. He took a deep breath before knocking loudly a few times and standing back, waiting for his friend to answer.

It took about five minutes, but the door eventually opened, revealing a sleepy Regina. Her hair stuck up in different directions, her green eyes had dark bags under them. Kayden regretted even coming to her, but it was too late. She wasn’t going to let him leave no matter what. Not without telling her what was going on.

Regina looked the man up and down, noticing the bag. She sighed softly before motioning for him to come in. He did just that, walking into the foyer and setting his bag down.

“I’m assuming I’m going to need to brew some coffee for this,” Regina muttered tiredly, sleep clearly on her voice.

“Probably,” Kayden responded.

The witch nodded before walking to the kitchen, setting up the coffee pot before pouring water in and letting it brew. She then turned to her friend, crossing her arms over her chest.

“So why are you here? And why did you bring a bag?” She asked.

“Dirk and I started dating and then broke up. We had a Soul Bond going and then it just vanished after there was an argument with us and Darian. I broke up with him and he told me to leave, so I did. After that I went to Darian and told him I was leaving- and now I’m here.” Kayden said, keeping his filling in simple, as Regina didn’t retain information well when she was tired.

“Wait, you and Dirk had a Soul Bond and it just- vanished?” Regina asked, a brow raising.

“Yeah. Neither of us know why,” Kayden responded, trying to keep his emotions under control as tears began stinging his eyes.

“Kayden, that’s impossible. Soul Bonds don’t vanish completely. There’s a chance it repressed itself because you two were moving too fast or the fact that it simply wasn’t ready to come to light,” Regina said, jumping slightly when the coffee maker beeped loudly. “Fucking piece of…” She began muttering as she went to the cabinet and grabbed two white mugs, setting them down and pouring coffee into them. “Do you want cream or sugar?”

“No, I’ll take it black,” Kayden responded, thinking about what Regina had said as he sat down at the kitchen table and stared down at the wood. There was a Soul Bond between him and Dirk, though it wasn’t time for it to really happen right then. What did that mean? Was there someone else out there that Dirk had to experience? Or even someone that Kayden had to experience?

The mug of coffee being set in front of Kayden pushed him out of his thoughts. Regina held her own as she sat down, getting comfortable before taking a sip. She then set the mug down and looked at the other with her deep eyes, “So, now that the Soul Bond business is out of the way, what do you mean you’re leaving?”

“It means just that, Regina. I’m leaving. I need to get out of here for now. Being around Dirk and Darian is stressing me out; I need to figure out who I am and just- live a little, I guess,” Kayden said, shrugging his shoulders.

Regina nodded, “And you’re here to tell me this, why?” She knew what Kayden was going to propose, but she wanted the other to say it. She couldn’t be the one that always spoke first and never let Kayden stand up.

“I’m here to tell you because I want you to come with me. I know you have a love for travel and I know you and I are really close friends,” Kayden said, beginning to look sheepish.

“Well, you do realize that I have a job, right? I can’t just drop everything to come with you. I have to make money, I have this apartment to keep,” Regina said, once again crossing her arms over her chest.

Kayden gulped, definitely not expecting Regina to shoot him down the way she did. He knew he could go to Rufioh, but he wasn’t exactly the best traveling partner- especially when it came to deep conversations. Rufioh just wasn’t the type.

“O-oh. I’m sorry,” Kayden whispered, looking down again. He put his hands around the mug, thinking about who else there was to ask. He couldn’t go out and do it all by himself; he’d get lost. Plus, he wasn’t ready to go out on his own quite yet.

The witch rolled her eyes, looking exasperated, “Damn it, Kayden! Of course I’ll go with you! You really need to start trying to convince people to do things you want. I think that’s the vampire way; at least that’s how it is with Darian. Witches have to do the same thing if we want to get what we want- then again, if they still don’t give it to us, we do just hex them,” she mused.

Kayden very nearly heaved a sigh of relief, though found himself slightly hurt by what she had said. He couldn’t get people to do what they want if they didn’t want to. That wouldn’t be right of him.

“Well, I don’t want to be like Darian,” The younger muttered, raising his mug and taking a sip. It was true, he didn’t. Though there was a certain admiration he felt for the other.

Regina smiled at her friend, nodding. “So where do you want to go? Do you want to stay in America or travel outside of it?”

Kayden thought about it, though came up with nothing, “I’m not sure,” he admitted.

The witch pursed her lips for a moment before leaning forward, “Listen to your heart.”

“What?” Kayden looked surprised. What was that even supposed to mean?

“Your heart. Where does it want you to go? Key into it and feel where it pulls you,” Regina responded before sitting back, raising a brow when Kayden didn’t make a move to do as she said.

He sighed before closing his eyes, emptying his mind of everything but his chest- his once beating heart. It was then that he felt it- a pull. His jade eyes opened, looking right at Regina, who smirked.

“Well? Where are we heading?” She asked.

“South America.”


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

“Kayden! Wake up or we’re going to be late for our flight!” Regina called up to her friend, slinging a bag over her shoulder. She had been up for the past four hours packing and making sure everything was taken care of for her trip. Half of that had been spent trying to wake the vampire up, though Kayden had always been difficult to wake up in the morning.

The vampire in question groaned and moved one of the soft fluffy pillows under his head to his face, trying to drown out Regina’s voice and go back to his sweet dreams. However, she wasn’t going to let that happen. The two had fifteen minutes to get to the airport, otherwise they’d miss the flight to South America, which had been booked last minute and cost a pretty penny.

The witch walked to the guest bedroom where Kayden had decided to crash, the breakup hitting him and making him fatigued. She opened the door, stepping in and tossing herself on top of her friend’s sleeping form.

“Ah, shit! Regina get off me!” Kayden yelled, trying to push the woman off him.

The other laughed loudly before sitting up and seating herself on the edge of the bed, “We only have fifteen minutes to get to the airport. You need to get dressed, Kayden. I’ve been trying to wake you up for the past two or three hours. I swear to God, you’re a fucking nightmare to wake up.”

The vampire rolled his jade eyes before throwing the covers off of himself and standing, moving over to the duffel bag filled with personal belongings and clothes. He pulled out a flannel button-down and a pair of black jeans, then turned to Regina and motioned to the door.

The woman almost seemed offended by the fact that Kayden wouldn’t let her see him change, still she stood and took her leave, shutting the door behind her. The vampire quickly changed, running his fingers through his hair before putting his other clothes into the duffel bag. He then made the bed and took his leave.

Regina had a few suitcases by the door and she stood in the kitchen, pouring two travel mugs of coffee- one for her and one for Kayden. The vampire thanked God for Regina. He didn’t know what he’d do without her.

She turned to face him when he set his own bag down. Her auburn hair had been curled slightly on the ends, bright green-blue eyes sparkling. Kayden had to admit she was gorgeous, but he would never even imagine dating her. They were friends and even if he liked the female aesthetic, he still wouldn’t do anything with the woman.

Regina smiled, “I wouldn’t set your bag down, Kayden. We have ten minutes to get there. If we miss the flight, I won’t be a happy bitch- I mean witch.” She then winked, picking up the travel mugs and handing them to Kayden, who had just rolled his eyes as he slung the bag over his shoulder.

“Fine. Get your luggage then. I’m ready,” The vampire responded, heading out the door and to his friend’s car, throwing his bag in the backseat before moving to the front and buckling himself in.

Regina then came out, putting her own luggage in the trunk. She got into the driver’s side, took a quick sip of her coffee and headed out. Kayden felt a slight pang, knowing there was no going back. Even if he had changed his mind there was no way he would make Regina cancel the flights she had spent so much money on.

He watched familiar buildings pass by on the way to the airport; the church he had gone to since he was an infant, the café he and Rufioh performed at, his old school, the cemetery where his father was buried. Everything passed by; simple scenery to most, but his entire world. Kayden almost felt like he didn’t want to say goodbye. Franklin held so many good memories, but the worst memories as well. They were memories he didn’t want to think about; they were the reason he was leaving, after all.

The two arrived at the airport just in the nick of time. They went through the necessary security checks, dropped off their luggage, and boarded the plane. It took another ten minutes for them to finally take off, but once they did, it was smooth sailing from there.

Regina sat back in her seat, turning on her iPod and sticking her headphones in, falling asleep rather quickly. Kayden chuckled at his friend before taking his phone out of his pocket, deleting Darian and Dirk’s numbers without a second thought. He needed to get away from them and couldn’t have the urge to call them at any time.

The vampire’s finger then hovered over his brother’s number. He hadn’t exactly kept in touch with Rufioh and wasn’t sure how he would react to the fact that his brother was leaving the country. Kayden figured the six hour plane ride to Bolivia would give him enough time to fill his brother in and then listen to him rant about whatever it was Rufioh was going through. It was how most of their conversations went, after all.

He pressed the green ‘Call’ button and held the phone up to his ear, waiting for his brother to answer as he watched clouds overtake the scenery.

“Yo, what’s up, Kayden?” His brother answered. Kayden could hear crunching, which meant Rufioh was probably eating something. It didn’t come as a surprise as there was never a time where the werewolf wasn’t eating something.

“Nothing, but uh, I need to tell you something,” Kayden said, his voice lower as there were others on the plane. It wasn’t packed, but there were plenty of listeners, plus Regina was asleep beside him.

The munching stopped and everything went quiet, “What is it? Are you okay, man?”

“Yeah! Of course. Well, they are now at least. I left.”

“Left? Where are you?” Rufioh asked, sounding confused.

“I’m on a plane to Bolivia,” Kayden responded, waiting for his brother to freak out on him for leaving without saying a word- or at least inviting him, even though the answer would’ve been no.

“Where in the hell is Bolivia?”

“Uh, it’s in South America. I thought you aced Geography in school, Rufioh,” The vampire said, becoming confused himself. Rufioh had been a great student and always claimed Geography had been his favorite subject.

“Ha, fuck no. I copied everything from Horuss,” Rufioh chuckled.

Kayden brought a hand up to his face, not surprised by the truth finally coming out. Rufioh could’ve been a good student, but he was too busy growing into his werewolf self to actually apply himself and unfortunately there hadn’t been counselling on how to achieve as a student when said student was also struggling with being a werewolf. Luckily Horuss had been there for him.

“Alright then, well yeah, I’m headed to Bolivia, which is in South America,” Kayden said, looking around the plane and noticing that most of the people on it were reading books or sleeping. No one else was talking, which made the vampire feel annoying and slightly awkward.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?” Rufioh asked, slight hurt on his voice, which was something he hated hearing.

“I just needed to get away. Something happened with Dirk and Darian a-“

“What? Did they fucking hurt you? If they did, I swear to God, I’ll rip them to shreds!” Rufioh growled.

“No, calm down. Dirk and I had started dating, but it didn’t work out and Darian was a little too obsessed with me. Plus, this whole situation is just a really huge pill to swallow and I don’t want to focus on it. I needed to get out so I can figure myself out,” Kayden responded.

“…Oh. Well are you alone?” Rufioh asked, suddenly sounding slightly disinterested at the conversation at the fact that Kayden had only left on a journey of what seemed like self-discovery. Those types of things had always bored him.

“No, Regina’s with me,” the vampire responded, looking at his sleeping friend with fondness.

“Well good, you’re still new enough that you shouldn’t be on your own. Just be safe, Kayden,” Rufioh said, concern beginning to lace his voice. The vampire knew the last thing he wanted was Rufioh getting sappy on him, so he decided to try to change the subject.

“I will… So how’s your love life anyway?” Kayden asked, not having asked such a question in quite a while. Rufioh had been known to sleep around with older prostitutes in high school, but he had since moved on from such activity and tried settling down.

“Ah, well, I started dating this chick named Damara and she was cool, but I may or may not have cheated on her with Horuss.” The werewolf answered, sounding ashamed with himself.

“You what? Rufioh, what the fuck. You don’t cheat,” Kayden hissed, trying to comprehend what it was his brother had just admitted. The fact that Rufioh had cheated struck a chord with the vampire as he’d been cheated on; he knew what it felt like.

“I know, slap my wrist and kick me in the balls or whatever. I don’t know why it happened, man. I just know that it did. I’m sorry for it, but I also don’t regret it. Damara was kind of a slut anyway,” Rufioh said and Kayden could almost picture the carefree shrug he was doing in his mind.

“Are you serious? That’s like saying I deserved what Gataki did to me,” the vampire growled, anger beginning to fill him. He wouldn’t stay mad at his brother for long, but at the moment, he definitely wasn’t fond of him, “you know what. I don’t want to hear any of your ridiculous explanations. My flight’s about to land. Bye.” Without waiting for a response, Kayden hung up the phone, wanting to fling it away from him.

Instead, the vampire sighed and sunk down slightly in his seat, closing his eyes and trying to will the flight by. He hated the fact that someone so close to him had cheated and then blamed the fact that they did it on their significant other being a ‘slut’. It didn’t sit well with him. Kayden thought about deleting Rufioh’s number as well, but knew they would need to talk things over eventually.

Not knowing what else to do, Kayden pulled out his Bible and began reading. He wasn’t tired enough to sleep and he didn’t want to be on his phone longer than necessary.

^^^

Six hours later, the pilot announced the plane was close to landing. Regina was awake by that point, though she had pulled out a book as well. The two had spent nearly the entirety of the flight reading quietly, along with everyone else. Kayden was surprised at how quiet everyone had been as in the movies he’d seen, the passengers were talkative, yammering on about their problems and where they were headed.

Kayden put his Bible away, sitting back as the plane landed. Regina did the same and looked over at him, a smile on her face.

“We’re here, Kayden. Do you feel the tug getting stronger?” She asked.

The vampire hadn’t noticed, but the tugging in his chest had definitely grown since they deported from Franklin. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, though he was quite curious to figure it out. Kayden nodded, a smile of his own appearing on his face.

“I’m excited to find out why my chest is pulling me here,” the vampire said before looking out the tiny window, almost heaving a sigh of relief at the asphalt that stared back on him. Land. Warm, hard land. While he’d always wanted to travel, the vampire had been afraid of flying and he knew why. It definitely didn’t agree with his stomach.

A light went on in the front, signaling the fact that the passengers could take off their seatbelts. Kayden practically threw his off and stood up, stretching before heading out into the aisle and getting off the plane with Regina following close behind.

The two entered the airport, grabbing their belongings before flagging down a taxi outside. Kayden considered himself lucky that Regina’s powers gave her the ability to understand any language spoken to her, even those that seemed fake. She held conversation with the driver as they entered the rainforest, coming across a small village with cottages lining the dirt streets for what looked to be the length of two football fields.

Regina stopped the driver and paid him before getting out, both her and Kayden grabbing their things as the taxi turned and drove off.

“There’s somewhere to stay around here?” Kayden asked, the heat of the day beginning to get to him. Luckily the hot sun was blocked out by tall trees. He’d never seen so many in his life, but the view was absolutely beautiful. It was nature that hadn’t been tampered with. Sure there was human life, but they were the types that respected nature instead of destroying it.

“Yeah, trust me Kayden, I have my ways,” the woman responded, shooting a wink to the other before walking away, carrying one suitcase while rolling the other.

The vampire shrugged before following her past the small cottages and heading into the forest. Kayden was close to stopping her, but a sharp tug in his chest made him move faster. He was definitely close, though he wasn’t sure what to. Was there another village within the forest? He decided not to voice his thoughts and instead stayed quiet, following his friend to a small, beaten up looking shack. It looked as if it were about to fall apart, however it looked homey.

Regina opened the door and stepped inside, looking around at the dusty place before setting her belongings down and turning to the other, “Witches have this homing ability, I guess you could call it, so I knew exactly where this place was. This place should be safe for the both of us; you to eat whenever and me to practice my magic. The villagers aren’t very prone to such things, so we’ll have to be careful, but this place is secluded enough. Go explore, I know you want to,” the woman said, a smirk finding its way to her lips.

Kayden smiled at her before setting his duffle bag down and going back outside. He looked up at the trees, marveling at how tall and healthy they looked. The vampire was reminded of the movies he had seen, but they were real. He was seeing the beauty of nature with his own eyes.

The noises of insects and birds filled his ears as he began walking, following the tug of his chest, though it began leading him in almost a zigzagging pattern before freezing completely- stopping in one place. If Kayden’s heart actually had a beat, he was sure it would be pounding.

As he followed the path set out for him by his chest, the hair on the back of his neck began to prickle. The vampire felt as if he were being watched. He looked back quickly, making sure no one was there, though it was hard to zone in when there was so many colors and sights in the forest.

Kayden began walking a little faster, not wanting to flit in case it was a human watching him. The last thing he wanted to do was out himself- or his kind, as he was sure Candace Peixes wouldn’t be too pleased about it.

While walking and watching his back, the vampire suddenly tripped over a form, crying out as he did so.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” The form suddenly growled, not sounding happy at the fact that he’d been tripped over.

Kayden turned to the voice, though froze when he saw just who- or rather, what- he had tripped over. The vampire had been expecting a homeless forest wanderer or something of the sort, but not what stared back at him.

The thing looked to have the body of a snake, at least, the bottom half of a snake, while his top half looked like a human male. He had bright heterochromic eyes- one blue and one brown that stared back at him looking almost angry, though they mirrored that of a snake. The snake-man had blonde hair that had a few leaves tangled within the light locks.

What took the vampire a few moments to notice however, was the fact that the tail of the snake-man was caught in a trap. A rope was wrapped tightly around his tail, cutting into it. Kayden looked down at it, reaching a hand forward, though a hiss from the other made him freeze.

“Let me free you,” Kayden whispered, trying to keep his voice even. Though his chest was throbbing as if it had found what it was looking for. Was it this snake-man? Was he simply meant to free him?

The creature kept his eyes on Kayden as the vampire reached forward and snapped the rope keeping the thing in its place. When the creature was free, the vampire moved back quickly, only to trip once again over a branch.

The snake-man laughed as he moved his tail from side-to-side, trying to get feeling into it once again, “I’m not going to hurt you, kid. What’sss your name?”

If the situation hadn’t have been so terrifying, Kayden would’ve laughed at the slight lisp the creature had, along with the enunciation of his ‘s’s, however he didn’t laugh. Instead, he stayed silent, his jade eyes wide.

“Oh come on, I’m not going to hurt you. In fact, I owe you one.” The creature moved to his full height, balancing himself on his tail. He looked to be around eight feet tall.

“Kayden,” the vampire responded, voice quiet. He didn’t trust the creature.

“Oh?” The creature then sniffed the air and smiled, his slightly forked tongue suddenly moving in and out as a snake’s would, “You sssmell different, Kayden.”

“Different?” Kayden asked, a brow arching.

“Yeah. You’re obviousssly male, but there’sss sssomething feminine about you,” the creature responded, “Can you have kidsss?”

The vampire suddenly froze. How could the snake-man possibly have known that from simply smelling the air? Kayden wanted to leave, though even if he could, his chest would have prevented him from doing so as it felt as if his still heart were having a field-day.

“Y-yeah, I think so,” the blackette responded, keeping his eyes fixed on the other.

“Hm, interesssting,” the creature then paused, looking the other up and down, his smile growing wider, “I like you, Kayden. My name isss Sssimon.”

“Nice to meet you, I think.” Kayden muttered before looking around and moving to pick himself up, however he suddenly noticed a pale hand in front of him. The vampire looked up to see Simon holding out a hand, his tongue darting out once again.

Hesitating slightly, Kayden put his hand in the other’s and froze. A heat erupted in his chest, causing him to gasp. Simon had the same reaction.

The two stared at one another, their eyes unblinking and nothing coming from their mouths.

Eventually, Simon pulled Kayden up and brought him into a hug, holding him close. A grin brightened his features as he spoke, “I finally found you.”


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Kayden couldn’t comprehend the fact that Simon was his Soul Bond. The snake-man was why his heart had lead him to South America. The vampire hadn’t even heard of Simon, they hadn’t even known the other existed before that moment and it was something that was quite difficult to wrap one’s head around.

“I-I don’t understand,” Kayden had sat back down, his head in his hands as he tried to understand everything that was going on. Love was already such a foreign concept to him, but he knew from the movies he watched that love really only bloomed after two people spent months, if not years, with one another. How could the vampire already feel love for someone he had never even met? Besides, he thought his Soul Bond was with Dirk.

“What don’t you underssstand, Kayden?” Simon asked, sounding slightly annoyed, though his face masked it quite well as his dual-colored eyes held nothing but concern for the other. He slithered closer, lowering himself slightly as he tilted his head, trying to get a better look at Kayden’s face to gauge his emotions.

“I’m not supposed to have this bond with you. It’s supposed to be with someone else, it just wasn’t time. This can’t happen,” Kayden looked up as he felt the stare of the other beating down on him. Simon was definitely beautiful and there was certainly an attraction there, but it couldn’t happen, could it? There was only supposed to be one Soul Bond.

The snake-man rolled his eyes, “You haven’t heard of Polyamory, have you?”

Confusion covered the vampire’s face, proving to Simon that he really didn’t know. The latter made himself more comfortable, welcoming the feel of the crunch leaves against his tail and torso as he laid on the forest ground, looking up at the other.

“Polyamory is basssically giving your love to more than one perssson, and you definitely ssseem the type that hasss a lot of love to give,” Simon said, giving the most basic and non-confusing explanation he could.

“But that isn’t right, is it? Shouldn’t love just be between two people?” Kayden asked. He was already pushing his Christianity by coming out as gay, but being with more than one person? That would definitely kick him out of it all.

Simon quickly caught on that Kayden was a part of a religion, which made him roll his eyes again. The creature had never been one for religion, as he found it annoying and the center for all the wars that had started since he’d been alive. In his eyes, there was no need for it. Still, he didn’t want to offend part of his other half.

“That doesssn’t matter. What mattersss isss that you have myssself and possssibly one or two other matesss. Take myssself for inssstance; I have you and one other perssson out there. It’sss true that mossst only have one, but there are ssspecial casssesss and you’re one of them,” he said, shrugging his shoulders as he shifted to his back.

Kayden nodded, though he was still struggling to grasp it all. What would Dirk think? Would he even want to be with Kayden if he found out he had another bond? The Texan didn’t seem the type that would like sharing, especially with a… snake-man? It dawned on the vampire that he didn’t even know what Simon was. Surely snake-man wasn’t the proper terminology.

“What are you anyway?” The vampire asked, not meaning to come across so rudely, “I mean, uh, I’m a vampire but it’s obvious you’re not and I’ve never heard of someone being half-snake.” He said quickly, trying to cover up his rudeness.

Simon only chuckled, “I’m a Naga. Half sssnake, half man. You probably haven’t heard of usss becaussse there are ssso few left. There’sss myssself and my sssonsss, Ssssollux and Mituna. There’sss a lot of lore out there, but not many know of usss. We like to ssstay in the ssshadowsss.”

Kayden had never recalled such a being and he quickly figured it’d be hard to breed with one of his sons. He wondered what had happened to his mate, or if they had even been mates. What had happened to the rest of the population?

“Why are there so few of you?” He asked.

The Naga’s expression turned grim, “Huntersss.”

“They killed off everyone but you and your sons?” The vampire was in disbelief. How did they do such a thing?

Simon simply nodded before shaking his head, “I don’t like talking about it.”

Kayden nodded, understanding why Simon wouldn’t want to talk about his species dying out. The two then sat in an almost uncomfortable silence, neither knowing what to say after the conversation had taken such a dark turn. The vampire listened to the birds and insects chattering loudly among the forest for a while before finally speaking up.

“Do you want to go back to my place? Or rather, the place I’m staying at.” He asked.

Simon looked up slowly, a smile creeping onto his face as he nodded, “Yeah, of course.” He moved his body, balancing himself on his tail before slithering away slightly, waiting for Kayden to lead the way.

The blackette stood and walked ahead of the other, “A friend of mine came with me, but she’s harmless- kind of.”

“A friend?” Simon asked, tilting his head as his tongue darted out.

“Mhm, she’s a witch. If she knows there’s a Soul Bond that I’ve got with you, I’m sure she won’t freak out as much.”

“Asss much,” Simon chuckled to himself, though he wasn’t worried. He’d had plenty of years to take care of himself and fight off anyone that tried to hurt him. The last thing he was afraid of was a witch.

The two fell into another silence, though it was much more comfortable. Kayden looked at the nature that was all around him, wondering how everything could be so green. He suddenly felt Simon nudge his arm. The vampire looked over to see the Naga holding a red flower with a smile on his face.

A blush crept onto Kayden’s cheeks as he accepted the flower and held onto it, wanting to hold it close to him. He’d never been given a flower, not by Gataki and definitely not by Dirk. The vampire found himself staring down at it until the two arrived at the cottage.

“Isss thisss it?” Simon asked, dragging Kayden out of his thoughts.

The blackette looked up quickly, noticing that they had made it, “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I completely zoned out. Let me go inside first; I want to warn my friend that you’re with me.”

“Fine, fine,” Simon responded, hanging back as Kayden moved forward, heading inside the cottage to find Regina sitting at the table.

The once dusty cottage looked completely new from the inside. Everything had been straightened up and cleaned thoroughly. Kayden wondered if she had cleaned everything with magic as she didn’t looked exhausted.

“Regina?” His voice shattered the silence Regina had built and the woman jumped.

“Jesus Christ, Kayden!” She gasped, her head whipping around to look at her friend, “You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were in the zone or whatever,” the vampire responded, holding his hands up, as it looked like Regina was ready to get out of her chair and put some sort of curse on him.

“Well what do you want? You know, now that I’m out of my zone.”

“I just wanted to let you know that I brought a friend, or my Soul Mate, rather,” Kayden responded, a smile finding its way to his face as a look of surprise appeared on his friend’s face.

“Your what?”

“Soul Mate. Apparently I have a Soul Bond with more than one person. His name is Simon and he’s a Naga, just be kind to him, okay?” Kayden asked.

“Yeah, yeah. As long as he doesn’t try to hurt myself or you, I’m good,” Regina said, waving her hand, “Now bring him in!”

The vampire grinned before running outside, his eyes finding Simon immediately, “You’re good to come in.”

“Hell yes,” Simon said, slithering past Kayden and going inside the small cottage. Kayden knew it would be a tight fit what with the size of the Naga’s tail, but he found that he probably wouldn’t mind it much. Just being around Simon brought him happiness, which was a strange feeling for him.

Kayden followed his Soul Mate into the small space, standing to the side of him and watching as Regina stood up, introducing herself before Simon did the same.

“Wait, did you sssay your lassst name wasss Pyrope?” Simon asked, his tongue flicking as he spoke.

“Yes, I did. Why do you ask?” Regina asked, enthralled with the Naga’s tongue. She’d never seen a tongue do anything like it.

“I think I knew your great grandfather. He wasss a warlock, yesss?”

“Yeah, his name was Reginald,” Regina responded, her voice betraying the confusion she felt.

“Ah! I fucking _knew_ it! You have the sssame face, voice, and demeanor asss him. Reginald wasss a great man,” Simon said.

“Oh… Well thank you! I take great pride in having someone like him in my family line.” Regina exclaimed and Kayden knew that due to the compliment Simon had just paid her, she loved him.

“So you’re a Naga? I’ve heard of creatures like yourself, though I can’t say my knowledge is exactly extensive, but I’ve come across creatures like you in various research I do,” Regina said, crossing her arms over her chest as she spoke.

Simon nodded, “I’m actually sssurprisssed you found material on usss Nagasss. I thought a lot of the resssearch wasss long gone.”

“Oh it is, but I managed to find what was left of it. After all, witches are very good seekers,” she looked to Kayden and winked, earning a small chuckle from the vampire.

“Well you hold onto that ssshit. Hell, maybe we could talk sssometime and I could tell you more about me,” Simon said, an almost mischievous smile appearing on his face. Kayden felt a small thrill go through him. Did that mean Simon wanted to come around more? Of course, he didn’t know why he questioned it. They were Soul Mates after all.

_“Of courssse I want to come around more, Kayden.”_ A voice suddenly rang out in the vampire’s head, causing him to jump. Simon was two feet away from him and yet, the voice sounded like it had been right there, though he hadn’t even seen the Naga’s mouth move. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his Soul Mate.

_“Sssoul Matesss have the ability to ssspeak to their partner or partnersss through telepathy. Pretty cool, huh? I wanted to sssee if it really worked.”_ Simon chuckled out loud, though Kayden found his mouth hanging open, still staring at Simon with his bright eyes.

Regina looked between the two of them before throwing her hands up, “Yep, I don’t even want to know what you two are talking about. You two stay here, I need to go into the village to get some supplies anyway.” With that the woman scooted past Simon and out the door before Kayden could say anything.

Once she was out the door, the newly found Soul Mates looked at one another. Kayden stepped forward, setting the flow Simon had given him onto the table before sitting on one of the cots set up.

“I’m glad you and Regina hit things off really well. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you two hated one another,” Kayden muttered, patting the cot next to him before realizing Simon wouldn’t have fit.

“Sssshe’ssss really great, I like her. You have good tassste in friendsss,” Simon responded, chuckling at Kayden’s realization, “you do realize I can turn, right?”

“Y-you can?” Kayden asked, barely getting the two words out before Simon began to morph, his tail splitting before shrinking and turning into two thin, pale legs. The Naga was slightly wobbly at first but quickly straightened himself up and stretched his arms out, though Kayden was slightly taken aback at the fact that his newfound Soul Mate was nude. He couldn’t really say he was surprised however. Instead of speaking on it, he stayed quiet, making sure his eyes didn’t linger on the other’s junk for an extended period.

“Ta-da! I jussst hate being in my human form, ssso I don’t do it often,” he said with a shrug. He then went over to Kayden, sitting down next to him on the cot and looking at the vampire with big eyes, his tongue darting out, “I’m glad you’re here, Kayden. For a while I thought I would have to drag my assss out of thisss foressst and come find you myssself.”

The vampire smiled at the other, “I’m glad I left when I did.” He didn’t want to come forth about everything that had happened with Darian and Dirk, but knew it would probably be something he would have to come forward about when he was to go back, though Kayden wasn’t sure if Simon would come with him or not. He seemed quite comfortable in Bolivia.

The two once again fell into a comfortable silence until Regina came back, looking away quickly when she saw Simon was full human- and fully exposed.

“Oh my God!” She exclaimed, her head still turned to the side.

Simon laughed but stood, his legs forming back into that of a snake’s tail, bright yellow and scaly. Kayden knew he’d never be able to get used to it.

“Ssssorry, Regina. I ssshould probably get going,” he looked at Kayden, a softer smile appearing on his face, “I’ll sssee you tomorrow.”

The vampire nodded, returning the smile as the Naga turned and slithered out of the cottage. Regina automatically looked to him, her eyes traveling up and down his body.

“Did you two-?” She began.

Kayden’s eyes widened, “No! We just met, Regina!”

She threw her hands up, “Hey, I didn’t know. Sue me!” The woman then paused, setting a few paper bags on the table before yawning, “I think I’m going to hit the hay.”

“Me too,” the vampire muttered in response, yawning as well. “It’s been such a long day.” He then laid down on his stomach, wrapping his arms around the pillow and staring out of the window, looking up at the sky. For the first time in a long time, he felt happy- truly happy.

^^^

A few days passed with Simon and Kayden spending time with one another, talking and getting to know each other. Kayden could admit that he never felt the same about anyone. His chest exploded with heat every time the Naga was around. It was almost as if he were human again.

Simon felt the same about Kayden. He was so used to a life of solitude that he’d almost forgotten what it was like to have someone by his side. There was already apart of him that loved Kayden, though he refused to say it. He knew enough about other species to know that love was a touchy subject and one normally had to wait a while to actually be able to say or feel it.

However, Simon knew that he would be able to show the other physical affection if he couldn’t speak his love. The Naga wasn’t sure how he would go about actually doing so, but he would find a way.

The two found themselves laying on the ground in a small clearing six miles away from the cottage. The night couldn’t be described as quiet, as there were nocturnal animals coming out and wandering about, looking for food. The moon was bright, casting enough light on the Soul Mates as they looked at the stars. Kayden found himself completely at peace, never having moments like that in Franklin. There were always the sounds of car horns or humans walking around and speaking- the forest was different.

Simon turned to face the vampire, a smirk on his lips as he leaned forward and kissed the other’s cheek. Kayden moved his head to the side, revealing a slight blush on his cheeks. He wasn’t sure if he could state that he loved Simon, but damn were the feelings there- and they were strong.

The Naga moved forward again, pressing his lips against the vampire’s, lingering for a moment before pulling away, looking down at the other with raised eyebrows.

Kayden chuckled softly, “You can keep kissing me, you know.”

With a quick flick of the tongue, Simon moved forward once again, his kissing becoming slightly more heated. He was so ready to show his love for Kayden that he couldn’t stop his tail from shifting into human legs. Something about the vampire was driving him crazy; he _needed_ the vampire.

The Naga, brought hand up, laying it on Kayden’s chest, moving it around slightly before traveling over the vampire’s nipple through the cloth of his shirt. Still, the male gasped, pulling away from the kiss looking slightly flustered.

“I- I-“ He stopped stuttering, not knowing what to say.

“If you don’t want thisss, jussst tell me,” Simon whispered.

In all honestly, Kayden wasn’t sure what he wanted. There were undeniable feelings there, but was he ready for sex? He had only just met the Naga a few days prior. Then again, they were Soul Mates, so they weren’t going to end any time soon. Biting his bottom lip, the vampire nodded, though he still felt slightly hesitant.

“Are you sssure? I want to hear you actually sssay it,” Simon responded.

“Yes, I want it. We’re Soul Mates. Do I think this is a little too soon? Yeah, but we’re going to be together for a long time and there’s just something about you that- shit, Simon, yes.” Kayden said, grabbing the other by the back of the neck and pulling him back in, their lips crashing together.

Simon smirked into the kiss, bringing himself to his knees and looming over the other, his hand moving across the vampire’s sensitive nipple once more and earning a small gasp from him. The Naga decided he wanted more reactions from the other, so he brought his cool hand under Kayden’s flannel and moved it along his pudgy belly, feeling the other’s soft skin and marveling at it for a moment before nipping at the vampire’s bottom lip. Kayden gasped, his hand tangling into Simon’s blonde locks and trying to pull him even closer.

The Naga moved his other hand downward, beginning to stroke his dick. The hand on Kayden moved up to his nipple, tweaking and pulling at his softly and making the male mewl and whine softly. His sounds were music to Simon’s ears and he would have been fully content if they never stopped.

Kayden pulled away, moving his hand away from Simon’s neck and reaching down to pull his shirt up, giving Simon better access to his lovely pale body. He moved his head down, capturing the vampire’s other nipple in his mouth, licking and suckling at it, moaning as blood filled his cock. The tip was already leaking pre-cum.

“God you’re sssexy, Kayden,” the Naga whispered, pulling away from the vampire’s nipple before turning his attention to the male’s jeans. There was an obvious tent in his crotch from his own hardening erection, which the blackette couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed about.

Simon, on the other hand, was ecstatic that Kayden was already hard. He unbuttoned the vampire’s pants and began moving them downward, asking the male to lift his hips to make the process easier.

Kayden did as he was asked, a red tint beginning to cover his cheeks when the cool air hit his thin boxers and nearly exposed cock. Simon smiled up at his Soul Mate before turning back to his bottom half, rubbing at the hard bulge in his boxers and causing the vampire to nearly cry out.

The Naga chuckled, applying a little more force to his movements, grabbing his own dick once again and pumping it slowly. He was so ready to be inside Kayden, but by the way he was acting, Simon had a sneaking suspicion that he was a virgin.

“Have you done thisss before?” He asked.

Kayden nodded, “Ye-yeah, but I haven’t actually had anything bigger than four fingers inside me.”

Simon nodded in return, figuring the vampire would probably need prepping once again as he didn’t know how long ago that was, nor did he care in that moment. The blonde didn’t want to think of Kayden with anyone else but him, especially not when they were about to have sex.

After a few more moments of rubbing at the vampire’s cock through his boxers, he pulled those down too, once again asking Kayden to lift his hips. The vampire did as was asked and moaned loudly when Simon touched his bare cock, automatically thrusting up slightly to gain more prominent touches from the Naga.

“Eager, are we?” Simon asked in a low voice, a smirk on his face.

The flush on Kayden’s face deepened slightly, “M-maybe, just please touch me, Simon.”

The Naga reveled in how desperate the vampire sounded. His sounds made him desperate to hear even more. He grabbed Kayden’s cock and began pumping it slowly, as he was doing with his own. Simon used the pre-cum from the blackette’s dick as lube, moving it over his cock at an almost agonizingly slow pace.

Kayden began to grow more and more desperate as time moved on. He felt as if the other were teasing him with the tortoise like movements. However it dawned on Simon that he could use the vampire’s neediness for fun of his own.

He looked up at the other again, ceasing the touches on his own dick and brining the free hand up to the vampire’s nipples once more.

“You want more?” He asked in a slow voice.

“Yes,” the vampire breathed.

“Then beg for it.”

“What?” Kayden asked, growing confused.

“You heard me. Beg for me to touch you more,” Simon responded, hoping his plan wouldn’t fall flat. He had almost forgotten that Kayden was still new at sexual activities.

The vampire paused for a moment as if pondering what to say before he finally spoke, “please touch me, Simon. God, please, I need you to touch me.”

Simon was taken aback, but pleasantly surprised at his Soul Mate’s response. Satisfied, his hand left Kayden’s dick, earning a high pitched whine before it turned into a moan when the Naga began teasing his entrance. He watched the other’s expressions, gauging his reaction as he brought his middle finger up to his mouth, coating it with saliva before bringing it back down and beginning to slowly push past the first layer of muscle leading into Kayden’s anus.

The vampire tensed slightly, though Simon brought his other hand down from his nipple and began stroking his dick again, “Jussst relax, Kayden.” He whispered, voice soft and soothing.

Kayden did so, closing his eyes as Simon began pushing in further, past the second layer of muscle. There was a slight sting and it felt very strange, similar to the first time Dirk had fingered him, however he quickly got used to it.

The blonde pushed his middle finger into Kayden’s ass entirely, marveling at how tight he was. He was going to practically milk Simon’s cock. The thought itself made the Naga want to just shove right in, but he held back, not wanting to be violent with his Soul Mate. Instead, he kept his finger still for a moment, waiting until the vampire was fully relaxed and stroking his cock before pulling his finger out and pushing back in slowly, gaining a slow, steady pace.

Kayden’s eyebrows furrowed as if he were uncomfortable, but Simon understood it was a new feeling; definitely something he needed to get used to.

Eventually, the Naga added a second and third finger, waiting until Kayden was practically begging for more once again to crook his fingers up, finding the sensitive bundle of nerves that drove the vampire absolutely crazy. He cried out before thrusting his hips, his breath beginning to become labored. Before the vampire could get too into it, Simon pulled his fingers out.

“Are you ready for sssomething elssse?” He asked, clear desperation in his voice.

Kayden nodded, spreading his legs further apart so the Naga had room to fit himself. He kissed and nipped at the vampire’s thick thighs before spitting on his hand, spreading the saliva on his dick until it was coated well enough, same as his fingers. He then position himself over the other, his cock pressing against the entrance of Kayden’s anus.

“Are you ready?” He asked, his tongue darting out.

“Yes,” the blackette responded, relaxing as best he could as Simon pushed in, moaning out in pleasure while Kayden hissed softly, though the pleasure was definitely there. The males swung their heads back, marveling in the feel of one another as their bodies practically exploded with the heat from the bond.

Simon moved forward, practically laying on his Soul Mate as he began moving in and out at a slow pace, getting the other used to the feeling of having a cock inside of him. It didn’t take the vampire long to loosen up and get into the feeling, pushing against the Naga and letting out soft moans.

The Naga picked up the pace, moving his head downward and capturing a bit of Kayden’s chest in his mouth, suckling on it. He could taste the vampire’s sweet skin and feel the smoothness of it on his tongue. Kayden didn’t smell of any sort of cologne or perfume, which surprised Simon but it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, Simon adored the smell of the vampire’s natural odor.

The blonde moved even faster when he felt Kayden’s arms wrap around his body, blunt nails trying to dig into the Naga’s back. He smirked as he arched his hips slightly, trying to hit the vampire’s prostate with the head of his cock. It didn’t take long to do so as, before he knew it, Kayden was falling apart.

“Fuck, Simon! Ah-“ He cried out, “I’m close.”

Simon smirked and moved faster, his hips slapping against Kayden’s skin as he sat up slightly, trying to get an even better angle. He grabbed the vampire’s dick once more, pumping it in time with his thrusts. Kayden covered his mouth to silence his loud moans as he arched off the ground slightly, his body tensing as he released all over his stomach and Simon’s hand.

The feeling of his Soul Mate clenching around him caused Simon’s own orgasm and he suddenly found himself crying out Kayden’s name as his thrusts became erratic, riding out his orgasm before pulling out slowly and collapsing next to the other. Both their chests were heaving and Kayden’s eyelids were heavy with fatigue. Simon was sure his expression matched.

“That wasss amazing,” he whispered, opening his arms as an invitation for Kayden to crawl over to him. The vampire did so, albeit with slight difficulty.

“Definitely,” Kayden responded and before Simon knew it, the vampire was asleep, snoring softly in his arms.

Simon smiled and kissed the top of his sleeping Soul Mate’s head, “I love you, Kayden.”


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

Weeks passed in a blur. Kayden could honestly admit he’d never had time pass by so quickly. Things were different with Simon; he felt as if he could tell the Naga any and everything about himself and everything that had happened. He only hoped that Simon felt the same. They spent their time together hunting, talking, and making love. A Soul Bond had most definitely been established, which made both of them equally ecstatic. The vampire could admit that he’d never felt more at home in Bolivia. Of course, Regina was still a large part of everything. She would occasionally join in in the fun. Kayden particularly enjoyed the way his Soul Mate and best friend got along- constantly bantering and making horrible puns with one another. It never failed to make him smile, though.

“Ssso, Kayden, tell me about your passst lovesss,” Simon asked one night. The two were sitting by a small pond, watching as the moonlight bounced off the water, creating enough light for both of them to see, though they didn’t really need it.

The vampire chuckled softly before looking up, “What about them?”

“How they acted, what they were like, you know the normal exesss talk,” Simon responded with a shrug, the end of his yellow tail flicking slightly.

“Well there was my first everything- girlfriend, slight sexual partner, kiss… everything.” Simon’s eyebrows shot up as he leaned his thin frame forward toward the chubby male, curiosity on his face. “Her name was Gataki Leijon, and I honestly thought she was everything. We had our first kiss when we were sixteen, and then we messed around when we were seventeen but didn’t go all the way- I wouldn’t allow it. We got married, and I was so happy about it. She was the light in my life, and then I found out she was cheating on me.”

“That fucking bitch!” Simon growled, clenching his fists in anger as his tongue darted out.

Kayden shook his head, “No, obviously she had a reason. I just wasn’t good enough. But we, uh, had gotten married. We weren’t together long before I filed. I couldn’t be with her after figuring out she cheated, but before I could say anything about it, she started rumors that I was gay- I mean, because of those rumors I figured out that I was, but it- it hurt. I almost lost my job and was the laughing stock of the town. Now we don’t talk at all.”

“I’m ssssorry,” Simon muttered, anger still clear on his voice.

“It’s okay, I’m over it. Obviously,” the vampire responded, offering the other a smile as he grabbed his spindly hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

Simon nodded and the two grew quiet for a moment before the Naga was back shooting off questions left and right.

“Ssso now that that bitch isss out of your life, how did you turn?” He asked.

“Let’s just say that I put my trust in the wrong person,” Kayden muttered, not up to talking about Darian at that moment. He simply wanted to enjoy the warm night with Simon and talk about things that simply weren’t important.

Simon cocked his head to the side slightly, wanting to press on but not wanting to make Kayden uncomfortable with his questioning. Instead, he moved closer to the other, his large tail getting caught on a few objects as he made to wrap it around his Soul Mate’s frame.

“Fucking-“ he began, leaning over to untangle it from a patch of briars before making it in the clear and wrapping the scaly yellow appendage around the other.

Kayden leaned back slightly, resting against Simon’s tail as he laid his head on his shoulder. He began watching the water again, picking up a small stone and throwing it in, watching the moon’s reflection ripple with it. Simon, on the other hand, watched the water for a few seconds before turning his attention to Kayden. His shaggy black hair moved along with the slight breeze that passed them, tickling Simon’s face. The Naga found himself smiling, wrapping an arm around his Soul Mate and burying his face in the vampire’s thick locks.

“You ssssmell good,” he muttered, nuzzling Kayden’s head and inhaling deeply.

The vampire laughed softly and leaned away, “You don’t really have a smell- well, dirt, but that’s about it.”

“Well duh. I can’t really dessscribe how you sssmell though,” Simon’s eyebrows furrowed as he took another deep whiff, his tongue darting out once again.

Kayden laid his hands on either side of Simon’s face, pulling him close and connecting their lips. He closed his jade eyes as his tongue darted out, moving against the Naga’s bottom lip before smiling. He then pulled away, the smile still going strong on his features.

Simon stayed quiet for a few moments afterward before finally speaking up, “Nope I ssstill can’t put my finger on what you sssmell like.”

The vampire rolled his eyes, pulling Simon in again and getting lost in the kisses that were delivered. Soft chuckles and laughs filled the night air as Simon pulled Kayden’s flannel over his head, setting it down before turning his attention to Kayden’s nipples. The vampire let forth a few small moans before gripping Simon’s blonde hair.

“We had sex two hours ago, Simon,” he said, sounding serious though humor could be found in his eyes.

“Your point?” The Naga asked, cocking a brow.

“My point is I haven’t quite recovered from it. Let’s just sit here and keep talking,” he responded, grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head, covering his bare chest.

“Oh fine, you sssap,” Simon muttered, though he didn’t actually sound too disappointed. “Are you going to explain how you turned now inssstead of giving cryptic anssswers?”

The vampire sighed, knowing the other wouldn’t give up, and if he didn’t get answers he would go snooping, most likely going straight to Regina and asking her. He knew it’d be best if Simon heard it all from him, so Kayden sat back against the other’s tail, getting himself comfortable before diving in.

“I was at the local café in town performing-“

“Performing?” Simon asked, his head tilting as it always did when he was confused or curious about something. It was almost as if he were a curious puppy, eager to learn more and more every minute.

“Yeah, I sing,” Kayden responded before getting back to what he was saying, though he knew Simon would probably want him to demonstrate after the story was over. “Anyway, I had performed, and a man approached me. He was really sweet- too sweet, and we talked for a while before he invited me over to his place. I said yes because, I dunno, I guess I was just desperate for someone’s company, plus he was handsome, and I was surprised someone like that was actually taking an interest in me. So yeah, I went with him, and he started talking about how good my blood would taste before knocking me out. When I woke up, I had been bitten, so I ran.”

“Fuck… did you ever find out exactly who bit you?” Simon asked, concern lacing his features.

Kayden thought about coming clean about Darian, but he wasn’t ready to bring him up at that point. It was the one thing he refused to talk about with anyone- even Regina.

“Nope. I never saw him again,” Kayden lied.

Simon opened his mouth to ask another question but he didn’t get a chance to say anything as the blackette beat him to it, “So tell me about your past loves.”

The Naga furrowed his brows at the other before rolling his bicolored eyes and huffing, “Well, I’ve had a lot of one night ssstandsss. Assside from you, I’ve only had one sssteady perssson in my life.” Simon swallowed, the woman he had been with previously was still a touchy subject, but Kayden had already told him so much, so he owed it to the vampire to come clean as well, “Ssshe wasss a witch, like Regina. Very powerful and God, ssshe wasss beautiful- long blonde hair, deep blue eyessss, and, yeah… Anyway, we made love twice, and ssshe got pregnant both timesss. When you ssssleep with a Naga and get pregnant, you will have a Naga child. We have very dominant genesss” he paused again, looking away for a moment.

Kayden sensed just how uncomfortable the other was getting, “You don’t have to-“

“No, I want to, it’ssss jussst hard,” the blonde muttered, “ssshe had a lot of complicationsss with Mituna- my firssst child, but ssshe got through it. Sssollux wasss an accident, and ssshe almossst lossst her life becaussse of him. After that, sssshe left me.”

The vampire frowned, rubbing the back of his neck as he wished he wouldn’t have asked. God, he was such an idiot.

“I’m so sorry, Simon.”

“It’sss okay. I’ve moved on, but Sssollux hatesss me for letting her go. He never got to know hisss mother,” the Naga said, his eyes staying focused on a leaf that he had picked up.

“He shouldn’t hate you for that. It wasn’t your fault, sometimes things just don’t work out like people want them to,” Kayden knew that was a piss poor excuse, but it was all he had.

Simon shrugged, crunching the leaf in his fist before letting it drop and finally looking up at his Soul Mate, “I guessss.”

Kayden captured his bottom lip between his teeth, chewing on it for a moment before deciding to change the subject, “Do you want me to sing for you?”

The Naga automatically perked up, a light appearing in his eyes as he smiled, “Fuck yesss!”

The vampire chuckled softly before clearing his throat, going through various songs in his mind before finally landing on one and getting the beat in his head. He cleared his throat before opening his mouth and belting out the lyrics.

Simon’s eyes widened as he listened to his Soul Mate sing. He was vaguely reminded of a Siren Song, though without the horrific death looming over him. Kayden’s voice was smooth like honey and rather even. He watched the blackette closely, noticing how his eyes stayed closed for the majority, almost as if he were afraid to see Simon’s reaction as he sang.

The Naga grinned as the other finished, finally opening his jade eyes and smiling sheepishly.

“Holy ssshit. You have a beautiful voice, Kayden,” he said softly, making the vampire blush, looking away.

“Thanks.”

“You can sssing me to sssleep from here on out,” the Naga laughed, humor lacing his voice.

Kayden rolled his eyes, shoving Simon back slightly, “Yeah right.”

The blonde’s tongue darted out again as he leaned forward, capturing Kayden’s lips with his own, both of them chuckling as they leaned back, staring up at the trees as they enjoyed one another’s presences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God, this chapter was so hard to write. I'm not used to writing fluff like this.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

 

A year passed by quietly with Kayden living in the South American rainforest with Regina and Simon. He could safely admit that he had never felt more at peace. The vampire was able to develop a routine for himself. Wake up, feed, talk with Regina or help her with various witchy things, spend the rest of the day with Simon, sleep, and repeat.

Due to the fact that wildlife was much more prominent than humans, Kayden had started feeding on animals. Anything from wild boars to big cats; he would feed on them and give the carcasses to other wildlife or even his Soul Mate. Simon was grateful and found the fact that he didn’t have to waste his precious energy to catch anything relaxing.

Kayden wasn’t the only one enjoying the vacation. Regina found that she was able to perfect many of her spells and potions, though her friends were often on the receiving end of such things. Luckily, nothing caused them too much pain and they were able to laugh it off with ease.

The vampire found the fact that he didn’t have to speak or worry about Darian or Dirk strangely relaxing and quite comforting. There was absolutely no drama in his life that could tear him down. He was happy; truly and completely. However, he knew that one day, he would have to go back to Franklin and deal with the situation he left behind. The blackette simply knew he wasn’t ready. If he were to go back then, it would’ve ended in a disaster.

However, though he knew he couldn’t talk to two vampires in his life, there was one he desperately wanted to talk to. Rosa. His mother. He didn’t know why the sudden need to call her crept up on him, but it was there.

“I say you should do it. If your heart is telling you, it might be time to at least reach out to one person,” Regina said, stirring a pot of what looked to be black goop.

Kayden took a deep breath, shrugging his shoulders. Sure he felt the urge, but was the time really right? Was he ready to talk to the woman that birthed him and then left him?

“I’ve never met the woman, but I agree with Regina. If ssshe’ssss on your mind, you might want to give her a call,” Simon chirped, watching Regina stir for a moment before wrinkling his nose and turning to his Soul Mate. “We’ll both be right here.”

The vampire nodded, looking down at his phone. He already had his contacts open, all he needed to do was press the green call button next to his mother’s name. He didn’t know why it was so difficult to actually do it.

“ _I’m scared_ ,” Kayden muttered in his mind, knowing Simon would hear.

“ _I’m right here and ssso is Regina. You’ll be okay, Kayden,_ ” the Naga responded quietly before slithering over to the other. Regina had told him time and time again to change into his human form before coming into the shack, but he always refused to do so, so she eventually gave up.

The vampire nodded to his Soul Mate before pressing the call button, holding the phone up to his ear and closing his eyes, holding his breath in anticipation.

“Hello, this is Rosa Maryam speaking,” a light voice answered, making Kayden want to hang up and throw his phone over a cliff. Instead, he froze, unsure of what to say.

“Hello?” Rosa’s voice asked, confusion filling it.

With a nudge from Simon, Kayden found himself speaking, “Mom, it’s Kayden.”

The line went silent for a moment and Kayden’s chest began aching. Did she hate him? Would she tell him to lose her number and never speak to him again?

“Kayden? Oh God, where have you been? I have been worried sick!” Rosa suddenly exclaimed, her voice full of desperation in wanting to know what her son had been up to.

“I’m currently in South America with Regina and- and my Soul Bond,” Kayden responded quickly, not wanting to prolong his mother’s worrying.

“Soul Bond?” Rosa asked, confusion present but eagerness shining through in her voice.

“Yeah, his name is Simon. When I left Franklin my chest, or heart, lead me here.” Kayden looked at the Naga by his side with a fond smile. Simon returned it and laid his head on the vampire’s shoulder.

“That’s wonderful! How long have you been there? Are you keeping yourself fed? Does Darian know where you are?” Rosa asked, shooting off question after question. Kayden found he had a hard time keeping up.

“Easy, mom… I’ve been here a little over a year, I’m eating every day, and no, he doesn’t. He only knows that I left,” Kayden responded, fiddling with a loose string on his jeans.

“I am glad you have been taking care of yourself, Kayden. I do wish you would let Darian know where you are. I had not heard from either of you in quite a while and, honestly, I was about to go looking for you,” Rosa said, her voice going back to its normal state.

“He’s the reason I left in the first place- or one of the reasons at least,” Kayden muttered with a shrug, though he knew Rosa couldn’t see it.

“Did something happen?” The woman asked.

“Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it… Instead I want to talk about us. I know I left in a huff and didn’t give you a chance to really speak and for that I’m sorry. It was all just way too much to process and I felt like I needed to get away,” Kayden said, completely apologetic. Obviously his mother had her reasons for leaving and not showing up and he knew he needed to listen to those reasoning’s and give his mother another chance.

“I definitely do not blame you for walking out, dear. In fact, if I would have been given that same piece of information at such a time, I would have acted in the same fashion you did,” Rosa responded, and Kayden could hear the sound of a smile gracing her features. The fact that his mother had forgiven him brought a smile to his own face.

“Thank you, mom. So, why exactly did you leave me again?” He asked, looking down at his feet. Simon gave his free hand a reassuring squeeze.

“You were born as a half-ling; half vampire, half human. The more dominant half was human, so I knew you would be safer living among humans. Your father graciously accepted and, honestly, I did not even know of his passing. If I had, I would have come back. The vampire part of you would have either been sniffed out or have become much more dominant as you grew older, especially due to the fact that you are a breeder,” Rosa responded, talking carefully. The last thing the woman wanted to do was upset her son again. She yearned to get to know him more and actually be a part of his life.

“And what does the fact that I’m a breeder entail? Obviously I can have kids, but- I don’t know… I don’t understand it,” the vampire muttered, closing his eyes for a moment. He had always been taught that women were to have the children while the men supported her, but then again he’d also thought vampires were fictional beings all his life.

“I am sure you are aware of the fact that you can have children, but it is a big deal among vampires as you are the only one other than myself that is able to. I have sired one as an original vampire and that is all I can give. You, on the other hand, can give as many as your body is able. And trust me that is probably quite a lot.” Rosa’s voice grew grim toward the end.

“So what does that mean for me? Is my only purpose to birth as many vampire children as possible?” Kayden asked incredulously.

“Yes and no. Your purpose is to thrive, but if the wrong vampires get a hold of you then yes, that will be your sole purpose,” Rosa responded.

Kayden could feel his stomach drop, knowing there was probably no way to keep himself safe other than to not trust a single vampire. How could he? He didn’t know what any of their motives were.

With a sinking feeling his mind wandered to Dirk and Darian. Had they been using him for that? Trying to get on his good side to simply use him as a breeder and nothing more? Did they actually care about him at all?

Rosa, as if reading Kayden’s mind, decided to speak up, “Darian and Dirk were not of that mindset. They both have true and genuine feelings for you. If that was not the case, I would have gotten you away from them as soon as I got word of what happened. In fact, I am sure Darian would not have even given me a call when he figured out you were my son.”

“Oh,” was Kayden’s simple response. He didn’t know what else to say. Once again, he felt as if he had been given too much information at once. However, something clicked in his mind. He had accepted it.

Kayden had accepted the fact that he was a vampire. There was no going back.

“Thank you for talking to me about all of this, mom,” he said, genuine in his words.

“It was lovely to hear your voice again, my son. I will get off the phone with you. Do be safe, will you?” Rosa asked.

“Of course, mom. I-I love you,” Kayden responded, meaning what he said. Rosa was his mother. She had left him for good reason and he couldn’t despise her for it; it would’ve been wrong of him to do so.

“I love you too, Kayden,” the woman said before the line went quiet.

Kayden lowered the phone from his ear before looking at Simon, a small smile on his face.

“Well, you sssaid you loved her, sssso I’m thinking thingsss went pretty okay,” the Naga said with a goofy smile.

The vampire chuckled and nodded, running a hand through his thick locks before setting his phone to the side. He then looked up at Regina, wanting to tell her the news, however the words died on his tongue as he saw the expression on her face. The witch looked solemn, as if she’d just been delivered horrible news.

“Regina, is everything okay?” He asked, standing quickly and causing Simon to lose his balance and fall on his face, the mattress breaking his fall.

The woman shook her head. “Unfortunately not. I have to go back to Franklin.”

“Why? What happened?” Kayden asked quickly, taking a few steps toward the pale woman.

“The vampire population is increasing drastically, which means more people are dying and it’s starting to cause an uproar. I need to go back to cover things up and help Darian get things under control. The Nitrams are already working on chasing a few of them out,” Regina responded, wringing her hands together for a moment before meeting Kayden’s jade eyes. “Do you want to come back with me?”

Kayden captured his bottom lips between his teeth, chewing on it for a moment before shaking his head. “I can’t. I’m not ready. You go, though. I’ll be okay with Simon by my side.”

The woman nodded. “I’m going to pack my bags and be out of her by dawn. You be safe, Kayden.” She then turned to Simon, her blue-green eyes growing hard. “You take care of him, Simon. If anything happens to him, I’ll put a curse on you. Don’t test me.”

Simon held his hands up in defense. “I won’t. He’sss my Sssoul Bond. If sssomething were to happen to him, I’d feel it too. Don’t worry, he’ll be sssafe.” He then turned to Kayden, arching a brow toward the vampire. “Would you want to travel? The Rainforessst is getting pretty boring. I want to sssee the world and I know you do too.”

A smile found itself back on Kayden’s face as he nodded. “Of course!” The vampire turned to Regina, closing the distance between them as he brought her into a hug. “Just keep me updated, okay? Be safe.”

“Aren’t I always?” The woman asked with a bright smile, winking at the vampire.

The three then spent their time helping the woman pack and saying their goodbyes. Kayden didn’t want to be away from her and worried for her, but knew she could take care of herself. Regina was strong.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Two weeks after Regina left the Rainforest and went back to Franklin, Kayden and Simon found themselves in Europe. The vampire was filled with wonder at all the sights to be seen. There were lights and traffic everywhere, which was slightly hard to get used to after living in the Rainforest for a little over a year. However, he was able to get used to it quickly and enjoy everything.

Simon felt his chest warm at his Soul Bond’s bright smile and the absolute wonder in his jade eyes. The Naga had seen all there was to be seen after living on the planet for 2,000 years, however nothing was more wonderful than looking at Kayden. He took in the vampire’s happy nature- letting it fill him with love.

Due to the two staying in large cities, it was quite easy to feed. Simon would have to leave for farms once a week as he didn’t eat humans, but Kayden was able to survive just fine, dining on those he caught doing wrong. There was still a part of Kayden that hated what he did to the humans, but there was no other way. He had to accept it. The vampire only prayed to God that he would be forgiven.

The two spent most of their time sight-seeing, taking in all there was to be seen. There was a part of Kayden that wanted to stay in Europe permanently, but knew there were way too many people for Simon’s taste, as the Naga was usually brought into a bad mood after only an hour or so of walking around in public places. Kayden assumed it was due to the fact that Simon had to use his legs instead of slithering around on a tail. There were many times when he imagined the reactions of those that were around them if they saw a snake-man slithering around- it caused him to nearly fall over from laughter, earning strange looks from those around him.

However, due to Kayden relaying the thoughts to Simon, it made his Soul Bond laugh as well, which was more than enough for him.

Kayden found that there were many other vampires looming about, some more kind than others. He was able to find a vampire-only club, which Simon was barely accepted into. The two earned many glares and an equal amount of kind smiles. A small group of Irish vampires invited them over, though Kayden found it hard to stay around them as one in particular reminded him too much of Darian- which was someone he was still trying to keep his thoughts away from.

^^^

The two had just left the vampires-only club, walking back to their motel. Simon had a bright smile on his face, whilst Kayden looked up at the sky absentmindedly, trying to watch the stars. The one thing the vampire hated about being in a populated area was the fact that the sky was nearly washed out due to the artificial light. He would’ve absolutely loved to stargaze with Simon once again, but it was much too hard to do so.

Instead, he averted his gaze from the sky and let the chilly air bite at his already chilled skin. He couldn’t feel things such as slight heat or cold- which was one of the many perks of being a vampire. There was absolutely no way he could get cold.

Simon nudged his Soul Bond, the smile still brightening his features.

The vampire looked at him, a smile of his own appearing on his face.

“When we get to the motel could we have sssssome fun?” The Naga asked, obvious lust in his heterochromic eyes.

Kayden decided to play stupid. “What kind of fun, Simon?”

“You know what kind, Kayden. The kind where we take our clothessss off and fuck each other,” Simon responded, winking at his Soul Mate.

The vampire rolled his eyes. He could safely admit that he’d never met a hornier specimen in his life. He thought humans were bad, but damn, was he wrong.

“I don’t know, I’m pretty tired,” Kayden muttered, feigning a yawn as he stretched his arms over his head.

“Oh come on!” Simon whined, grabbing the shorter male’s arm and pulling him close. “You know you want my dick.”

Kayden rolled his eyes at the other, but knew he’d end up giving in. Simon had a way with the vampire, which he still couldn’t put his finger on what exactly it was. He didn’t mind, as he enjoyed making love with his Soul Bond.

“Yeah, yeah. You always say that, Simon,” the vampire chuckled, resting his head on Simon’s shoulder as they walked.

The two walked in a comfortable silence, enjoying one another’s company. However, it didn’t last long as the two felt as if someone were watching them closely. Simon looked back quickly and sniffed the air, his tongue darting out to improve his smelling. His eyebrows furrowed as he grabbed Kayden and pushed the vampire directly behind him, just as three men walked out from behind a building.

The men were clad in all black with hoods over their heads. Kayden noticed a two were pale while the third was quite dark. He was curious to know what they wanted, but with the way Simon had tensed up, he knew it wasn’t going to be good.

“We were hoping you wouldn’t sniff us out,” one of the pale men stated, a smirk gracing his features. Kayden wondered if the man was a vampire as well, but quickly debunked that idea when he realized he could hear their blood pumping through their veins.

“Yeah, well, when you’re ssssomeone like me, you’re going to sssniff the assssholessss out.” Simon shrugged, anger filling his eyes. He knew he was caught in a predicament. In front of him and Kayden stood three hunters, and they seemed very well trained at that.

“That’s no way to talk to the guys that hold your lives in their hands, now is it?” Another one of the hunters asked, a cruel smile finding its way onto his features.

Kayden felt fear grip at his chest as he took a few steps back. “Who are you?” He asked, trying to keep his voice from wavering.

The men looked at one another, confused. They had never ran into a vampire that didn’t notice a hunter right off the bat. Still, they shrugged it off.

“Hunters of the supernatural. We kill things like you. I guess you could call us ‘Pest Control’,” the third man answered, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a sharp wooden stake.

The vampire gulped and took a few more steps back, though was stopped by Simon grabbing his wrist.

“Don’t Kayden, ssstay behind me. I’ll take care of thessse fuckersss,” Simon growled, his voice low with anger. Kayden had never seen his Soul Bond so angry, but it scared him. He hated the fact that nothing was truly being explained to him, and he was being left in the dark. However, before he knew it, Simon was morphing back into his snake form, causing the hunters to step back themselves, their eyes widening with fear of their own.

Simon grinned at them before moving quickly and capturing one, wrapping his scaly yellow tail around the hunter’s torso before beginning to squeeze slowly, watching the man struggle and scream for help. Without a second thought, the Naga moved the man closer and grabbed either side of his face, glaring at him for a moment before snapping his neck.

The vampire slapped a hand over his mouth, his jade eyes widening. He’d only ever seen the Naga killing animals for food, but never an actual human. Simon hadn’t even given the hunter a chance to change his ways. Kayden knew he needed to do something about it. He couldn’t let people die, especially if he hadn’t seen them do anything wrong. They hadn’t even had a chance to _speak_ and explain why they were doing what they were. What if they had been made to do what they were doing?

As Simon slithered to have a go at one of the other men, Kayden stepped forward, reaching a hand out as he yelled, “No!”

The two remaining hunters and Simon froze, turning to face the blackette as he gulped once again. He definitely hadn’t thought up anything to say, as he was acting purely on instinct. He had to keep at least some of his morals from when he was human.

“Simon, I don’t think you should kill them,” the vampire said, earning an incredulous look from his Soul Bond.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Kayden if we don’t kill them, they will kill ussss. Do you really want that?” The Naga asked, reaching out and gripping one by the throat, the end of his tail twitching threateningly as the other raised his hands.

“Well obviously not, but we haven’t even given them a chance to speak. Perhaps they want to change their ways,” Kayden retorted before turning to the men. “We aren’t here to harm you. We were just heading back to our motel. That’s it. I only hunt criminals, and my… friend hunts wild animals.”

The men looked at one another, though instead of fear there was nothing but murder in their dark eyes.

“Bullshit. You’re freaks, and we’re going to take you out- eliminate the problem,” one of them said. Simon didn’t notice the hunter he had by the throat raising his knife, and, before he knew it, the man had moved his arm forward, catching the fleshy bit of Simon’s arm with the sharpened blade.

The Naga cried out, flicking his wrist quickly and snapping the hunter’s neck. He watched as the light left the man’s eyes, and he dropped like a stone to the concrete. Simon then directed his attention to the other hunter that was going for Kayden, a stake held tightly in his hand.

The vampire took another few steps back before deciding to stand his ground. It dawned on him that he needed to change the hunter’s ways quickly or be killed.

“You don’t want to do this,” Kayden said, his words tumbling out.

“Yeah, actually, I do,” the man growled, holding up the stake before diving forward, aiming the weapon at Kayden’s heart.

The vampire, without thinking, dodged the weapon. He grabbed the hunter by the neck, hoisting him up before smashing him into the ground, the cement of the sidewalk cracking slightly as blood spattered around the man’s head. Kayden stared at the deceased hunter for a few more moments before standing straight and flitting to Simon.

“Is your arm okay? I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I just- I thought I could change their lines of thinking,” the vampire murmured, tears stinging his eyes.

Simon’s wound had long since healed, and only the blood that had spilled showed signs that he had even been cut in the first place. The blonde looked at his frantic Soul Bond for a moment before grabbing either side of his face and pulling him into a rough kiss.

“God, the way you handled that fucker wasss hot,” he muttered, heterochromic eyes half-lidded when he pulled away.

Kayden rolled his eyes and shoved the other out of the way before setting in on moving the hunters to the alleyway they had come out of. While he was glad Simon was safe, he was more than a little irked that the Naga was thinking with his penis rather than his head. Had he not realized what had happened? Did he not understand how much it had affected Kayden?

The Naga helped the other in moving the bodies before the fled the scene, not wanting to stay longer than necessary.

The two headed back to their motel once Simon shifted back into his human form, luckily still wearing his clothing. Kayden found that he wasn’t up for a single thing when they got back. Instead, he let a few tears spill onto his cheeks, not bothering to wipe them away. He had known his kind would probably be hated, but didn’t realize just how great the magnitude would be. It hurt him, especially since he hadn’t chosen who he was.

Simon went to the vampire’s side quickly, wiping the tears off his pale cheeks before looking him in the eyes. “That wasssn’t your fault. You couldn’t have ssswayed their opinionsss of usss. They are huntersss, it’sss what they do.”

Kayden nodding, understanding but not liking it. “I just wish there was something I could’ve done. What if those men had families?”

The Naga looked away, biting his bottom lip and chewing on it softly for a brief moment before his attention was brought back to the vampire. “Honessstly, probably not. I’ve dealt with huntersss for 2,000 yearsss and most of them have lossst their families, ssso they make a vow to kill the onessss that were resssponsssible,” he said, “but they don’t sssstop after that. It keepsss going until they either die of old age or they are killed.”

The vampire wrapped his arms around his chubby frame and let out a shaky breath. “I understand why they do it, I just- I just wish they understood. Not everyone chooses this.”

“I know, Kayden. Come here.” Simon pulled the vampire close, holding him tightly as he let the vampire cry in his arms. He hated the fact that the other was so torn up, but knew the blackette needed to have the experience that he did, otherwise he could’ve gotten into a lot of trouble if he had been alone. “We’re going to need to ssstick to the sssshadowsss for a while. Chancessss are their friendssss know that they’ve gone missssing- assssuming they have friendssss, but it’ll be bessst not to ssstay in one place for too long.”

Once he got a nod of confirmation out of the other, Simon carried the vampire to the queen sized bed and laid him down, stroking the blackette’s hair until he fell asleep.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

“I think I’m ready to go back to Franklin, Simon,” Kayden said to his Soul Bond, looking up through his lashes.

Simon turned his attention from the map he was looking at to the vampire, cocking an eyebrow. “And what made you decide thisss?”

“I don’t know, I just- I feel it’s the right time. I’ve been gone for a little over two years and…” Kayden trailed off, unsure of what else to say. Going back just felt _right_.

“But we jusssst got here,” Simon said, looking around. His tongue darted out as he looked around the airport. They’d arrived in Tokyo, Japan around ten minutes prior.

“I know, Simon, and I’m sorry. It just hit me and I know I’m ready,” Kayden responded, honestly feeling bad.

The Naga sighed and stretched before walking up to a woman sitting at counter, typing away at her computer.

“Yes?” She asked, not looking up.

“Two tickets for Franklin, Georgia,” Simon said, hiding his drawing lisp that came with being a Naga.

“Yessir. Passports and identification, please,” the woman demanded, holding out her hand.

Both Simon and Kayden pulled out their passports and identification, handing them over and waiting for the woman to check and get everything into the system. The males waited around as she did so, with Kayden standing completely still and Simon tapping his foot impatiently. Simon hated plans changing, so Kayden knew just how annoyed he was at the situation.

“I’m sorry, Simon,” Kayden muttered to his Soul Bond.

“It’sss whatever,” the Naga hissed back, flashing a glare at Kayden.

The vampire took a few steps back. He’d only seen Simon’s anger a few times since he’d met him and only had it directed at him once. It was never a nice time, but the Naga usually got over it after a few hours, which was what Kayden hoped would happen in that instance as well. If not, he knew the two of them would be in for an awkward thirteen hour plane ride.

The two had been traveling for another year after their run-in with the supernatural hunters. They stayed to the shadows for the most part and made sure they stayed out of people’s way. The last thing they needed was more violence. Kayden hated the fact that they couldn’t be as careless as they had before, but understood why it was necessary.

“Alright, you two are set. What flight do you want?” The woman asked, handing their information back to them.

“The soonest one, please,” Kayden answered when Simon simply stuck up his nose like a spoiled child.

“Alrighty. There’s one leaving in half-an-hour. I’ll get your tickets printed out. Sit tight,” she said, going back to her computer to type in more information. Kayden briefly wondered how boring it must be to have her job; helping others go see the world when she couldn’t.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Kayden said, offering a warm smile before turning away and facing Simon. “Please Simon, I know you’re mad at me for changing the plans, but- God, this is what I want, okay? I’m sorry.”

The Naga rolled his eyes before facing the other. “I’m not angry with you becausssse of that, Kayden. I’m upsssset becausssse you’ll be in the sssame area asssss your exessss, and I know how much being around them hurtssss you. I don’t want to ssssee you in that possssition.”

The vampire found himself stunned into silence. He hadn’t known that was the reasoning behind Simon’s bad attitude.

“I feel like the time is right to make amends. Two years is quite a while,” Kayden finally responded, just as the woman at the desk called them over.

Simon simply shrugged before walking away, grabbing their tickets, and muttering a quick ‘thank you’ to the woman. Kayden offered her a smile before following his Soul Bond, having to jog to catch up due to the Naga’s long legs.

“Please Simon… Look, if it gets bad we can just leave again, okay?” Kayden said, wanting to grab Simon to stop him, however he knew that the other male wouldn’t be too appreciative of it.

“Yeah, okay. Fine. But I will sssay thisss: if anyone hurtssss you, I’ll rip their head off,” the Naga growled before going completely silent.

Kayden nodded as the two fell into an uncomfortable silence.

^^^

Thirteen hours later, the plane landed at the Franklin Airport. It was quite small and most were surprised it was still around as very few people ever wanted to come to Franklin. However, Kayden thanked his God it was still there. He hadn’t known what he would do if he spent another minute in an extremely loud plane ride with a pissed off Naga and screaming children.

Stars twinkled in the sky, as if welcoming Kayden back to his small town. He couldn’t lie and say he didn’t miss it, because he did. Franklin would always be home to him, no matter what. Despite Simon’s bad mood, the vampire was excited to show him around.

The two headed into the small building as the plane took off, picking up their luggage and making sure everything checked out. Once everything was given the green light, Kayden called a taxi, sighing when his phone died after he ended the call.

“Well, I guess I can’t give anyone a heads-up,” he muttered, placing the phone in his pocket as he shouldered one of his bags.

Simon stayed completely silent for another moment before finally speaking, “Where are we headed firsssst?”

“Probably Regina’s. I want to see how she’s doing. After that… I’m not sure. I need to ask her a few things before we choose our next move,” Kayden responded as the taxi pulled up.

The Naga nodded before they packed their luggage in the trunk of the vehicle and climbed into the back. Kayden quickly informed the driver of their desired address before it pulled away.

“Are we ssstaying with her?” Simon asked.

“Hopefully,” Kayden responded, not wanting to think about having to stay with Darian at his place. He couldn’t even imagine the reaction Simon would have if he found out Darian was the one who turned him. It had been over two years and Kayden hadn’t mentioned his name out loud once.

The two went silent once again, both looking out at the scenery blowing by. Kayden felt relieved, however there was an old tugging that began clawing at his chest. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Simon, realizing he most-likely felt the same thing.

“ _You feel it too, don’t you?_ ” A voice suddenly rang out in Kayden’s head, further confirming his thoughts.

“ _Yeah, but what does it mean?_ ” Kayden asked, surely he couldn’t have another Soul Bond in Franklin, though Regina had stated that there was an influx of vampires wandering about. It hadn’t crossed his mind that it could potentially be Dirk or Darian.

“ _Soul Bond,_ ” Simon simply stated.

The vampire knew that if he had a heart, it would’ve been racing. He was eager, but also terrified to see who it was. What unnamed mystery person had a piece of both his and Simon’s heart?

Simon and Kayden arrived at Regina’s place. The blonde got out of the car, moving to the back and removing their luggage while Kayden paid the taxi driver, using the last of his money. He sighed and prayed Regina would let them stay due to the fact that they didn’t have money for even the cheapest motel.

The taxi drove away as Simon and Kayden stood on Regina’s porch. The latter took a deep breath and knocked loudly. He knew Regina wouldn’t be too happy at the fact that they had turned up so late, but they’d had no other choice- or perhaps they had, however Kayden jumped on the gun too quickly.

After five minutes of waiting, the front door opened, revealing a frazzled Regina. Her auburn hair was messy and there were dark circles under her blue-green eyes. It was obvious she’d had many late nights staying up. Kayden wondered if it was simply the vampires in town or if it were something else as well.

“What are you two doing here?” She asked, even her voice sounding weak and frazzled.

“I decided now was the time to come back… Regina, are you okay? You look like you’re about to pass out,” Kayden said, ready to go to her if it came to that.

The woman laughed humorously as she ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah, I bet it does. Working six hours overtime at the station really takes its toll on a woman, I guess.” She paused, looking at her friend for a moment before standing back and letting him in. Simon followed wordlessly, knowing his frank humor wouldn’t be appreciated in that moment.

“Do either of you want coffee or anything?” Regina asked, stifling a yawn.

“No, but I’ll make you some,” Kayden responded, flitting ahead of her and appearing in front of the pot, opening the cabinet and getting everything ready for brewing.

Regina looked as if she wanted to protest, but simply couldn’t find the strength to. She collapsed on a stool in the kitchen and ran a hand through her hair once again. “So why did you decide to come back again?”

“The time felt right,” Kayden responded, pouring water into the machine before closing the lid and pressing the silver ‘brew’ button. He then went over to his friend and Soul Mate, who had taken a seat next to the witch.

“Well, I think you arrived at a good time. The vampire problem has been put under control; Darian told them to beat it and, surprisingly, they listened. Apparently he has more power than he thought he did. Now all I have to do is cover up about twenty murderers. I don’t know how I’m going to achieve it, though. Darian said he’s going to get someone down here to do so,” Regina said, filling Kayden in on what was what.

The vampire nodded, wondering who it was Darian was going to bring to the small town to cover everything up. Part of him hoped it would be his mother.

“So how was the trip?” Regina asked, rubbing at her tired eyes.

“Good. There were so many sights and everything was beautiful. We had actually just landed in Japan when I made the decision to go back,” Kayden responded, his features lightening. He simply wanted to gush and constantly talk about his experiences with the world, but knew that moment wasn’t the best.

“I’m glad. You needed to get out of here, but I will admit that I missed you. I wish you would’ve called. Granted, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get to the phone, but it still would’ve been nice to see your name pop up or hear your voice on a message or _something_ ,” the witch said, looking up at the blackette and offering him a sad smile.

“I sorry. I guess I just got so caught up with everything that I didn’t think about checking in with anyone,” Kayden said with a small shrug. He knew one of his biggest problems was communication, sometimes it just got too hard to talk to people.

“I know, I know. You said the same thing when you got too caught up with school or church. Trust me, it’s okay,” Regina said, holding her hands up.

The coffee pot dinged shrilly, signaling the coffee was finished. Kayden went over to the pot, pouring the witch a mug and adding her favorite dressings before handing it over. The woman graciously accepted it and took a sip, making an _mmm_ sound before setting the mug down.

“So how’s Dirk doing? I think I’m going to visit him next, honestly. I kind of want Simon to meet him,” Kayden said, gesturing to his silent Soul Bond.

Regina looked slightly uncomfortable at the mention of Dirk. “He left about six months ago. A Soul Bond was calling to him, so he took a plane out and I haven’t seen or heard from him since. Honestly, what is it with you vampires and not getting ahold of people?”

Kayden’s eyebrows raised in surprise. Dirk had a Soul Bond calling? He knew he had no right to be surprised because Dirk was definitely someone that deserved eternal love, especially because of the fact that Kayden had left him the way he did. Still, he couldn’t hide the surprise he felt.

“Well, I do hope he finds his Soul Bond, and I hope he comes back. I don’t know what I’d do if I never got to see or talk to him again…” Kayden trailed off, looking away as Regina picked up her mug and took another sip of coffee.

“Oh hush, he’ll be back, Kayden. He didn’t quit his job, so I’m assuming he’ll be returning soon, otherwise he’ll lose it. Plus, he has to visit me too, that asshole,” Regina responded, a smirk on her face.

“Yeah, I- wait a second, since when are you and Dirk buddy-buddy?” Kayden asked, the surprise growing.

The witch cackled. “I was wondering when you’d ask that!” She exclaimed, “He and I teamed up to hide a lot of bodies, plus he helped me figure out who was a vampire and who wasn’t. A lot of them were taking out innocent people instead of criminals.”

Kayden nodded, glad Dirk was willing to help the witch. “I’m relieved to know you’re okay though, Regina. I don’t know what I would’ve done if something happened to you.”

“Ha, yeah right, like something would happen to me. Maybe two years away from here hasn’t done you good. You’re forgetting how much of a badass I am, Kayden,” the woman grinned, a glint in her tired eyes.

The vampire rolled his eyes before clearing his throat and going serious once again. “So, um, I’d hate to ask this, but is there any way Simon and I could stay with you?”

Regina frowned, obviously caught off guard by the question. “I’m sorry, no. Unfortunately I’m having a few of the guys from the station come over, so it wouldn’t work out, especially with a vampire and a Naga- one of which drinks from humans and the other steals domesticated animals.” The woman cocked a brow at Simon who raised his hands.

“Hey, I have to eat. Sssssue me,” the Naga said, a smirk playing at his lips.

Kayden nodded, feeling disheartened. That meant they’d have no choice but to go to Darian’s place.

“Alright, well, next stop is Darian’s then,” Kayden said, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. There was an excitement, as well as a lingering fear stirring.

“Sorry, you two. Thank you for stopping by, though. It was good seeing you again, Kayden. You need to stop by more- oh, and call your goddamn brother!” Regina said, standing from her spot on the stool. She looked more awake, though it still seemed there was the threat of passing out looming.

“Rufioh?” Kayden asked. He knew he needed to call his brother and make things right, but he found that he was still much too angry to actually do so.

“Yes, Rufioh! He keeps asking me about you and talking about how bad he feels about what he said to you. Granted, I’d be pissed too, but he’s worried sick, Kayden,” Regina scolded, a motherly look gracing her features.

“Alright, I’ll talk to him tomorrow. I’m sure he’s either fast asleep or having sex with someone right now, though. I’d hate to disturb him,” Kayden muttered, rolling his eyes.

Regina shook her head and made her way over to Kayden, throwing her arms around her friend and pulling him close. “Don’t forget to stop by every once in a while, okay?”

“Of course. You’ll be seeing me around more often… Simon, too,” Kayden responded, returning the hug before pulling away.

The three finished saying their goodbyes before they were off once again, having called another taxi and loaded up their things. The pinging in Kayden’s chest was growing stronger and stronger, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint where it was coming from, which annoyed him to the High Heavens. He found Simon couldn’t figure it out either, which frustrated the Naga, though he did seem to be in a much better mood than before.

The taxi dropped them off at Darian’s. Kayden paid for the fare with the money Regina had given him for the ride before getting out and helping the Naga with their luggage. Once the driver was gone and everything was ready, Kayden turned to his Soul Bond.

“Stay here, okay? I need to go first,” the vampire said, his chest feeling as if it were pounding.

Simon nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. He bounced from foot to foot, seeming slightly antsy. It was obvious he was the same way, but there was nothing Kayden could do to help it when he couldn’t even help himself.

The vampire slowly walked up to the door, stopping just short of it and taking a deep breath. He then knocked loudly and stood back, waiting for the vampire that created him to answer.

After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, revealing a cleaned up Darian. He looked quite the opposite of Regina, who had been tired and slightly irritable. Darian’s eyes landed on the blackette. He blinked a few times before the fact that Kayden was there hit him.

“Kayden?” He asked, though he knew good and well who it was.

“In the flesh,” the younger answered him, offering an uneasy smile.

“Oh my God!” Darian exclaimed before moving forward and capturing Kayden in a hug.

The younger bit back a gasp when the feeling hit him full force. It couldn’t have been… No, it couldn’t. Darian- Darian was his second Soul Bond. The warmth spread through him like a waterfall, staring at his chest and moving through his body. He felt complete, truly complete.

Kayden pushed back quickly, trying to keep himself under control. He took in Darian’s expression and knew that the other still felt the same. All of the elder vampire’s feelings were still present.

“Um, I- I actually brought someone with me,” Kayden said, running a hand through his messy black hair.

“Oh?” Darian asked, looking confused and slightly surprised.

“Yeah. I met him in South America and he’s- kinda my Soul Bond,” the vampire muttered sheepishly.

Darian’s grey eyes widened as a hurt expression made itself known. Kayden felt horrible for making him feel the way he did, but he knew he would’ve felt even worse if he neglected to tell him and the vampire found out some other way.

“Oh,” Darian said, forcing a smile to his face.

Kayden nodded before turning to the other, “You can come over here.”

Simon smiled and grabbed the luggage with ease before making his way up to the porch. Once he arrived and looked up at Darian, the two froze. If possible the latter’s eye widened even further, Simon looked like he’d been hit by a bus.

“Oh my God,” Darian whispered.

“Yeah, holy fuck. Uh, Kayden, you didn’t tell me you were friendssss with thissss assssshole,” Simon growled.

“Excuse you. I am not an asshole. I believe that is you,” Darian sniffed.

“Ssssave your old-fasssshioned sssspeaking wayssss, Darian. You’re jusssst asssss ridiculoussss asssss I remember,” Simon muttered before shaking his head. “I ssssshould’ve realized it wasssss you. I knew there wasssss sssssomething there when we ssssslept together, but I didn’t want to sssssay anything.”

Kayden’s jaw dropped. “Um, what? You two know each other? You two _slept_ together?”

“Yes, unfortunately we did,” Darian responded, not taking his eyes off the Naga.

“’Unfortunately’? You sssaid I wasss the bessst lay you’d ever had!” Simon exclaimed, laughing loudly.

Darian’s face went red, reminding Kayden of a cherry. The Naga rolled his eyes at the older vampire, once he’d stopped laughing, before grabbing him by the tie and pulling him in- their lips smashing together in a heated kiss.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kayden’s eyes went wide at the sight of his Soul Bond and Darian making out right in front of him.  He wasn’t sure what to do in such a situation.  Break them up?  Yell?  Cry?  Nothing made sense and it left him dazed and confused.  He could simply stand there, watching Darian’s hands raise and tangle in Simon’s blonde hair, tugging softly as Simon growled softly, his own hands moving to the vampire’s hips.

The blackette eventually found his voice, “Um, Darian, Simon?  Do you two mind telling me what the fuck is going on?”  His voice sounded weak, though surprise clearly laced it.

The older males pulled away from one another reluctantly, Darian looking almost ashamed of himself as he wiped his mouth and straightened his tie.  His gray eyes fixed themselves onto Kayden’s jade green ones, holding them.

“You feel it, don’t you?”  Darian asked softly, a glimmer of hope arising in his hard orbs.

The vampire’s face went red as he took a step back.  “I- I’m not sure…”

“Oh husssh, Kayden.  You totally feel it.  Keep in mind that I can read your thoughtsss,” Simon piped up, crossing his slender arms over his chest.

Kayden shot the Naga a glare before turning his attention back to Darian.  He wasn’t sure what he felt- though he tried to convince himself that it wasn’t a Soul Bond.  He _couldn’t_ think of Darian in that way, could he?  It wasn’t right.  Though Darian and Simon obviously felt something for one another.

The vampire hadn’t realized Darian closed the space between them, cupping the younger’s chin in his hand and tilting his head up.  Kayden was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt the soft breath of Darian on his face, inhaling the smell of mint and blood on Darian’s breath.  A burst of heat spread through his body as Darian closed the short distance between them, his lips pressing softly against Kayden’s.

The blackette’s eyes closed for a moment before he realized just what he was doing.  He couldn’t- he had no right.  Kayden broke away from the other, pushing Darian away as he looked between the vampire and Naga.

“I- I have to go.  I’m sorry,” he muttered, not giving either of them a chance to speak before flitting out of Darian’s home and into the night.  He had no idea where to go, all he knew was that he needed to get out of there.  He couldn’t stand being in the same room as Simon and Darian at that point.  He knew he needed to _think_ and wouldn’t be able to do such a thing with the two hanging over him like moths attracted to a flame.

Kayden eventually stopped in Franklin Park.  The place was deserted save for the nocturnal animals crawling around, digging through full trash bins that hadn’t been taken care of.  He looked around, taking everything in carefully- the freshly cut grass, the litter from the day that hadn’t been picked up blowing around in the light breeze.  The vampire then turned his attention upward, looking at the stars.

He wasn’t sure why he was acting the way he was.  Why was he so afraid of the fact that he could potentially have a Soul Bond with Darian Ampora?  What was the harm in it?  Was it due to the fact that Darian was at fault for Kayden’s becoming a vampire?  Of course, Kayden had Darian to thank for actually staying with him and helping him through everything- even though his methods were unorthodox.  Kayden wondered if he had been the one at fault for everything that had happened.  He was the one that put his trust in someone he shouldn’t have.  He was the one that ran, multiple times, away from the help that was necessary.

Darian had simply tried to correct his wrongs and Kayden had refused it.  He had made things incredibly hard for Darian.  The vampire looked down at the realization, knowing he had every right to feel bad for what he had done.  Darian was an asshole, sure, but he didn’t deserve what Kayden had done to him.  Right?

He ran a hand through his thick black hair, a huff escaping his lips as he kicked a rock down the sidewalk and let his jade eyes wander once more.  Kayden didn’t want to be alone, but he knew he couldn’t go back to the other two and Regina was out of the question.  She needed sleep and it had been obvious.

It was then that it hit him: the Nitrams.  He still needed to repair things with Rufioh and he knew Tavros probably missed him.

Taking a deep breath, Kayden began the trek to his family’s home, walking briskly, but not flitting.  While he didn’t want to be alone, he found that he enjoyed the night.  The crisp air against his already cool skin, the moon shining down on him and creating an eerie light on the town.

As the vampire walked, he used his time to formulate what to say to Rufioh.  He knew it’d be awkward between them at first.  Of course, he knew his older brother felt extremely bad about what had happened and what had been said, but Kayden still couldn’t help but feel upset about it.  He’d had plenty of time to get over it, but being back in Franklin made it fresh in his mind- right at the forefront and he hated it.

The last thing the Kayden wanted to be was mad at his brother for something silly.  If he’d still been in the mindset he had been when he was human- or human-esque, he knew he would never forgive Rufioh for what he’d said, however the circumstances were different.  Kayden wasn’t human and simply couldn’t dwell on such subjects.  Plus, Gataki was out of his life.  The vampire had found his Soul Bond- or Soul Bonds.  He couldn’t stay angry at Rufioh.  In fact, he refused to let himself be angry.

Kayden had finally figured out what he wanted to say to his brother when he reached their home.  A few of the lights were on in the house, signaling the fact that at least one of the family was awake- the vampire’s guess was either Sage or Rufioh, as Tavros hated staying up past ten.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before bringing his hand up and knocking on the door loudly.  The vampire then stood back, placing his hands in his pockets as he waited.

The door opened a few moments later, revealing a worried-looking Rufioh.

The dark-skinned male sighed softly before grabbing Kayden by the shoulders and pulling him in, holding him close.  “Fuck, I’m so sorry, man.  I shouldn’t have said what I did and I’m a fucking idiot for doing so,” the male said, burying his face in Kayden’s shoulder.

Kayden smiled, moving his arms around Rufioh’s torso and pulling him closer.  “It’s okay.  I forgive you, of course.  And- I’m sorry too.”

Rufioh pulled away, his eyebrows furrowed.  “What are you sorry for?”

“Ceasing all contact with you.  I should have just talked to you about everything the next day,” the vampire responded, looking sheepish as he kicked at the worn wood on the Nitram’s porch.

“It’s okay.  Regina explained a little.  She said you needed to get away and it wasn’t my fault- unless she totally lied to keep me sane,” Rufioh responded with a light chuckle.

The blackette returned the smile.  “Of course she didn’t lie.  I left because of Darian and Dirk.”

“But now you’re back.  I know Dirk is out of town, so I’m assuming you at least made amends with Darian.”

“Well, I _thought_ I had,” Kayden began, though was interrupted by Rufioh before he could continue.

“Why don’t you come in?  I feel like this might be a lengthy conversation.”

Kayden nodded before stepping over the threshold and moving to the living room, making himself comfortable on the couch as Rufioh sat next to him.

“Alright, so tell me everything, bro.”  The werewolf sat back, sinking into the soft, worn surface of the couch and giving Kayden his full attention.

The vampire nodded.  “Well, I met my Soul Bond in South America.  We’ve been traveling for the past two years and then yesterday I decided I wanted to come home.  I don’t know what I was thinking- I guess the time just felt right.  So my Soul Bond and I boarded the next plane to America and when we get off, we go see Regina and then head over to Darian’s.  Apparently, my Soul Bond and Darian had met previously and fucked.  It turns out they’re actually Soul Bonds as well.  I mean, I was informed on what polyamory is, but I don’t think that’s me- is it me?”

Rufioh listened closely to everything Kayden said.  He’d known about polyamory, but also decided it wasn’t for him, however he knew Kayden was different.  The vampire would be able to handle a relationship with more than one person.

The werewolf shrugged, “Fuck, man.  If you feel something for both of them, I say you should give it a shot.  What’s the harm in trying?”

“Because this is going against everything.  I’ve accepted the fact that I’m a gay vampire, but throwing in polyamory is just too much, isn’t it?”  Kayden asked, looking around the Nitram’s home in order to avoid eye contact with Rufioh.

“I mean, in a lot of people’s eyes you’re going to Hell anyway, why not go out by getting DP’d?”  The werewolf asked, a smirk playing on his lips that made the vampire grab a pillow and hit him in the face with it.

“Fuck you, Rufioh!”

“Oh you know what I mean!”  The male laughed, holding onto the pillow tightly.  “Besides, do you feel a Soul Bond with both of them?”

Kayden grew serious and nodded slowly.  It was obvious there was a bond with Darian and he wouldn’t lie about it to himself or others.

“You can’t ignore a Soul Bond, Kayden.  Try as you might, you just can’t do it,” Rufioh responded, looking away as the room grew into a thick silence that weighed down on both of the males.

“I know- at least, I think I know that.  What would happen if I did try to ignore it?”  The vampire asked eventually, shattering the silence that had formed.

“Once you realize a Soul Bond is there, you have to go for it.  It turns into a burning need to find that ‘other half’.  You begin to need it more than water- or, in your case, blood.  It’ll drive you mad, Kayden.  Your heart knows you know about Darian, and it won’t stop hurting and driving you mad until you get with him.”

“What if your ‘other half’ dies?”  Kayden asked softly.  Death wasn’t exactly something the vampire went around talking about, especially not around the Nitram’s, as they were no strangers to it.  Just like Kayden, they had lost many loved ones.

“Usually the living member- or members- follow.  They don’t die on their own, it’s not like a broken heart or whatever.  No, they take their own lives because being away from their Bond just makes them crazy.  In my opinion, it’s unhealthy.  Tavros thinks it’s romantic,” Rufioh said.

The vampire nodded, not sure how to feel about the information he had gathered.  Did that mean if something were to happen to him, Simon and Darian would follow?  And would it be the same concept if one of them were to die?

“Are you okay, man?”  Rufioh asked, leaning forward slightly, a look of concern warping his features.

“Yeah, that’s just a lot to take in…” the male trailed off as his thought veered away from Rufioh, away from the Nitram’s.  He could _see_ something with Darian- a future.  Something told Kayden that he had to go to Darian.  Simon, too.  At the thought of the two, the vampire’s chest bubbled with emotion.  He wasn’t sure _what_ the future held, but his heart told him Darian and Simon would never leave his side.  “I think I should go.”

A smile appeared on Rufioh’s face.  “To Darian and Simon?”

Kayden nodded, capturing his elder brother in a hug.  “Tell Tavros and Sage I said hi.  I’ll start visiting more, I just need to take care of this,” he muttered to the other.

“Of course, man.  Good luck!”  Rufioh responded, a bright smile lightening his features.

The vampire beamed at Rufioh before flitting back to Darian’s.  He didn’t want to waste a second, nor did he want to second guess himself and somehow convince himself that everything would fall apart.  He knew he needed to focus on the positive aspects, such as the fact that he found two people to love and care for him like Gataki never did.

He arrived at Darian’s mansion within two minutes, briefly wondering if he needed to knock or barge right in.  Deciding on the latter, Kayden turned the doorknob and stepped in, quickly sniffing out Darian and Simon.  The strong scent of sex also reached the vampire’s nose, which made him pause.  Had they not cared?  Did they even bother looking for him?

Kayden shook his head, stopping just outside the door of Darian’s bedroom.  Inside he could hear heavy breathing and slight panting.  His first thought was to let the two come out on their own, but he didn’t want to wait so long.  He was growing impatient.

With a small sigh, the vampire knocked on the door softly.  All sounds of panting and heavy breathing ceased instantly.  Kayden could hear footsteps coming closer to the door, hesitant footsteps.

The vampire rolled his eyes.  “You know, you two don’t have to pretend you don’t know who I am.”

The footsteps became quicker as the door opened, revealing Simon- completely naked with his yellow-blonde hair sticking up in multiple directions.  Bites and scratches littered his body as he smiled down at his Soul Bond.

“Hey, Kayden.  Sssorry if you heard any of that.  I needed to put Darian in hisss place,” the Naga hissed, a smirk overcoming his features.

“Uh-huh…  Well, I need to talk to you and Darian,” Kayden responded, peering into the room and taking notice of Darian, who was laying on the bed, unmoving.  “Is he okay?”

“Oh yeah, he’sss fine,” the Naga said quickly, brushing his hand back and forth as if it didn’t mean anything.  “What do you need to talk to usss about?”

“It’s about the Soul Bonds.  I think I want to try a polyamorus relationship.  I know I won’t be able to ignore my feelings for Darian anymore, and it’s obvious that I love you, Simon.  So- would both of you be up for it?”

Darian shot straight up in bed, his usual slicked back hair was sticking up in a similar fashion as Simon’s, though his torso was clear.  Kayden wondered how bad they were when they were first inflicted.

“Are you serious, Kayden?”  Darian asked, surprise and hope lacing his voice.

The vampire nodded, a soft smile illuminating his features as Darian stood up, quickly putting on a pair of boxers and flitting up to Kayden.

“You aren’t lying about this, correct?”

“Of course not.  The last thing I’d do is play with your emotions like that.  I do honestly feel a Bond with you- both of you,” Kayden responded, looking into Darian’s gray eyes and Simon’s heterochromic ones.

A bright smile appeared on Darian’s face as he pulled Kayden in, their lips connecting in a soft, loving kiss.  Once more the heat flared in Kayden’s chest as he brought his hands up, fingers tangling in Darian’s black locks.  The vampire’s smiled into the kiss, staying that way for a moment before breaking apart.

“I’ve wanted to do that for so long.  A willing, loving kiss between the two of us,” Darian murmured, running his index finger down the other’s cheek.

Kayden simply smiled back, his jade eyes wide.  It hadn’t fully set in that he agreed to everything, but he did know that he truly felt happy.  He felt- complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally Darian and Kayden get together! Am I right???


	30. Chapter Thirty

“You’re absolutely sure about this, Kayden?” Darian asked in a soft voice, caressing Kayden’s hips as the chubby male sat on the older vampire’s lap.

“Of course,” Kayden responded, a smile gracing his soft features. Just to prove that he was, he moved his hips against Darian’s clothed erection, earning a moan from his movements. Darian had been waiting for a moment with Kayden to come along for quite a long time, and it was finally happening. He couldn’t help but smile at the mere thought of it.

“Good.” The male then leaned forward, attaching his lips to Kayden’s neck and suckling gently. Kayden tilted his head slightly, granting Darian easier access as he continued moving his hips, moaning softly as he did so. Darian let out moans of his own before sitting up, a look of lust in his gray eyes. “I can’t wait any longer, Kayden. Can I _please_ fuck you now?” His voice had lust and desperation tinging it, making Kayden chuckle softly.

“Of course, Darian.”

Upon hearing the other’s permission, the vampire switched positions, laying Kayden down on the bed and pulling both their pants off in one swift movement. If Kayden hadn’t have been so overcome with lust, he would’ve been rather impressed. However, he had not realized just how much he wanted Darian, and was too far gone to care about much else other than the vampire positioning himself over him.

“Are you ready?” Darian asked, moving his head downward to kiss and nip softly at Kayden’s soft skin. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to last, though admittedly he was growing tired of waiting. The vampire wanted to claim the other, to show him how much love was really there.

A smile appeared on the younger’s face as he nodded. “Do it.”

Darian grabbed the male’s legs, moving them upward and holding them there as he grabbed a bottle of lube, making sure he applied a generous amount to his cock before spreading it. He then applied a coating on his fingers before pressing them to Kayden’s entrance. The raven-haired male relaxed visibly, taking in a deep breath and exhaling as Darian pushed two fingers in. He fingered the smaller male for a short time before deeming him ready enough.

“Are you ready? You can still back out, you know,” the vampire said, hoping to whatever deity was out there that Kayden _wouldn’t_ stop him.

“My mind is set, Darian. Do it, okay? I’m ready.” Kayden offered the other another smile before laying back, relaxing his muscles completely. He’d grown rather used to the act of sex with another male due to Simon and how much sex the two usually had in the rain forest. The vampire knew exactly what to do, though he himself was growing nervous at the fact that Darian was obviously feeling the same. He was afraid. Of what, Kayden wasn’t sure. Hurting him? Potentially. Perhaps he was simply afraid Kayden would slip from his grasp once more.

Darian nodded, taking a deep breath of his own as he pushed his cock into Kayden’s entrance slowly. The vampires stayed quiet as Darian continued pushing in until his hips were flush with Kayden’s. Then, at the same time, they let out breathy moans. The elder vampire stayed still for a few moments, looking up at the other to gauge his reaction.

“You’re good to move,” Kayden whispered, offering the other a smile.

Darian began moving slowly, putting forth shallow thrusts. He couldn’t get over how Kayden felt around his cock; it was practically Heaven. Hearing the other moan made the vampire move deeper inside the younger, gripping his legs to give him more momentum.

“God, Kayden, you feel amazing,” Darian whispered, kissing wherever he could reach.

“Y-you do, too,” the other replied, his back arching slightly. He could feel how close Darian’s cock was to his prostate and it was beginning to drive him absolutely crazy. Instead of waiting for Darian to hit it, the raven-haired male moved his hips, crying out when the erection brushed up against the bundle of nerves. “ _Fuck_.”

Darian grinned, knowing exactly what he needed to do. Without waiting for affirmation, he began pounding against the spot he had hit, causing Kayden to whine and moan in response, his eyes slipping closed as he lost himself in the feeling. Darian reached forward, taking Kayden’s cock in his hand and pumping it in time with his thrusts.

“ _Shit_ , yes, Darian don’t stop. Please don’t stop,” the younger vampire whined, gripping at the sheets on the bed. He felt himself begin to go over as his body tensed, back arching on the bed. Kayden took his bottom lip between his teeth as he came, trying to keep the volume of his moans down.

The other male continued thrusting, the feeling of Kayden’s entrance tightening around his dick grew to be too much for him, causing him to come as well. The vampires rode out their orgasms together, their movements growing jerky as they did so. Darian knew he needed to pull out when Kayden began pulling away from him, wincing slightly.

“Too much?” he asked softly.

Kayden nodded, earning a smile from Darian as he pulled out slowly. Once he was out, the vampire collapsed next to the smaller on the bed. The latter moved closer to Darian, resting his head against the male’s still chest.

“I love you, Kayden,” Darian whispered, kissing the top of Kayden’s head.

“I love you too, Darian.” He then fell asleep quickly, tuckered out from the act.

^^^

“Hey guyssss, I’m ba- sssshit, did you two fuck?” A voice asked, dragging Kayden from the dream world and back into consciousness.

“What was your first clue, Simon?” Darian asked, rubbing the sleep from his own eyes, signaling the fact that he too had fallen asleep.

“Well, for one the room fucking reeksss of it. Two, you’re both nude, sssso…” Simon trailed off as Kayden sat up, reaching his arms over his head in an attempt to pop his back. He then opened his jade green eyes, the orbs automatically landing on Simon. “Hey, hot sssstuff,” the Naga smirked.

Kayden rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “Hi, Simon. How was your hunt?”

“Decent. It could’ve gone a lot better. Apparently it’ssss hunting sssseasssson,” Simon responded, seating himself on the edge of the bed. “That meansss there’sss not much for me to eat, or even wander without being detected. Hunting wassss never thissss ssstresssful in Bolivia.”

“You could always go back,” Darian responded, causing Simon to narrow his eyes at the vampire.

“Remind me why I put up with you?”

“It’s the Bond. You have to put up with me,” Darian retorted, playfulness in his gray eyes.

Kayden snickered before throwing the blankets off him. He couldn’t remember actually covering himself during the night, so he assumed Darian had done it for him. The thought made the vampire smile as he pulled himself up, stretching once more before heading to the bathroom. While he relieved himself, he called out to his Bonds. “So, I was thinking tonight we could go to the cafe. It’s been a while since I’ve performed.”

“Are you sure?” Darian asked, concern lacing his voice.

“Yeah, I think it’d be nice.” The vampire washed his hands before moving back to the bedroom and dressing himself, pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

“Wait, performing? Ah, fuck, doesss that mean I have to be around _people_?” Simon groaned, throwing his head back.

In retort, Kayden ruffled his blond locks. “That’s exactly what it means. If you don’t want to go, that’s fine; I just thought it would be something fun for all of us to do.”

“God, fine. Jussst know that I’m doing thissss becausssse I love you,” Simon said, a smirk lifting up one side of his mouth.

“Obviously I’m going no matter what, though. Nothing would keep me from going,” Darian responded, looking proud of himself as he shot Simon a dirty look.

The younger of the three rolled his eyes at the other’s antics, knowing very well that there was some sort of rivalry going on. Still, he decided not to comment on it, instead, focusing all of his energy and attention on that night. “I was thinking I could invite Regina as well. Obviously the Nitrams will attend. I can’t do much without Rufioh by my side.” Kayden grew more excited the more he talked about it. Performing was something he had always looked forward to before he became a vampire, and there was a part of him that wanted to keep the tradition up for as long as he could.

Fortunately, his excitement rubbed off on Darian and Simon. The two of them loved hearing Kayden’s voice- the different melodies he created and just how into the songs he always got. They enjoyed seeing the vampire so passionate about his music.

Within a few hours, the small group had gathered at the cafe. Kayden and Rufioh stood side-by-side, nervous about performing once more. It had been quite awhile but, from the looks of it, the patrons of the building seemed ecstatic that they were returning to perform. Kayden gained many pats on the back from different people that used to support him endlessly in the past. His excitement grew twofold as he moved backstage with Rufioh to practice and go over their songs.

Darian, Simon, Regina, and Tavros sat together at a table, though Tavros wasn’t too happy about the situation. His nose was scrunched due to the foul smell of the vampire sitting across from him. However, Darian felt similarly about Tavros, his hand covering his nose to keep from gagging at the stench of werewolf. The two sat as far away from one another as possible. Regina and Simon rolled their eyes at the males before turning their attention to the stage as Kayden walked out, Rufioh following close behind with his guitar.

After a quick introduction, followed by applause, the two set up their gear and began. Kayden closed his eyes, getting lost in the music as he belted out lyrics meaningful to him, though seemed like nothing to the other patrons of the cafe. Rufioh had a similar expression plastered to his face as he strummed at his guitar, providing back-up vocals when needed. All-in-all, the two made quite the pair onstage.

Once Kayden and Rufioh finished their performance, the patrons of the cafe burst into a round of applause- cheering and whistling at the males onstage. A blush dusted Kayden’s cheeks as he took a bow, whereas Rufioh was eating up the attention, blowing patrons kisses before being pulled off the stage by Kayden.

The werewolf and vampire made their way back to the others, grins on their faces.

“What did you think?” Kayden asked, looking proud of himself, but nervous at the same time.

“You were amazing, Kayden!” Regina exclaimed, beating Darian and Simon at any praise they were about to issue. The red-head made her way to her friend, giving him a hug. Once she pulled away, Kayden noticed just how tired she looked. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to take my leave early. I had a really early morning at the office.”

Kayden nodded, growing concerned, but not wanting to press the woman for information in the middle of the cafe. “Be safe on your way home, Regina. And thank you for coming.” He gave her one last hug before she left, offering the male a half-hearted wave. The vampire made a quick mental note to talk to her later, as he was getting a strong feeling that it wasn’t simply her working longer hours. Something had happened, and it was making itself more and more obvious.

Darian and Simon coming up to Kayden pulled him from his thoughts of Regina. He smiled at his Bonds, kissing Darian as Simon hooked an arm around the vampire.

“You were amazing, Kayden!” Simon exclaimed, kissing him afterward. The act drew many people’s attention though, for once, he didn’t mind. Kayden didn’t care that people were looking. He was happy, and that was all that mattered. Plus, it wasn’t like he worked at the church any longer; for all they knew, Kayden Vantas had lost his faith. Of course, it wasn’t true, but one could pretend for the fun of it.

However, unbeknownst to the vampires inside, vibrant blue eyes watched them closely from just outside the cafe window, a frown of disapproval gracing blue lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, it's been awhile, eh? Honestly, I had completely lost motivation to work on this. In fact, I had considered trashing it and rewriting all of it. I've decided that I'm going to finish it up, though. There's about fourteen chapters left. After that, I might work on the re-write, /or/ I'll start in on the sequel (yeah, surprise!). I haven't decided yet.
> 
> Anyway, shit's about to go down. Be prepared.


End file.
